Mark 8:31-38 page 1

To view the Bible passage in a separate window, click here.

The other day I saw a woman wearing a T-shirt with this slogan:

'Men are like commercials - don't believe a word they say.'

I hope men are better than that! But the slogan plays on our popular perception of the advertising industry. Be very careful about their claims, however much they are regulated.

I do not for one moment believe the entire advertising industry is corrupt and full of inveterate liars, and in our society it does have an important part to play. It certainly is possible to be a Christian in advertising. But this question occurs to me: what would the advertisers have made of Jesus' ministry?

Come with me to Mark chapter 8 and imagine what kind of campaign they could have designed for Jesus. He has just asked his disciples who people say he is. He has then asked the disciples who they think he is. Peter has answered, "You are the Messiah".

"Well, Jesus," say the advertisers, "we've got some great material for your Messiah campaign. Just look at all the aspects of your recent ministry we can highlight. Remember how you kicked off by casting an unclean spirit out of that man in the Capernaum synagogue? All the healings that followed? The way you attract and transform the undesirable? Your vivid parables? Your authority over nature itself? Jesus, you're going to have everyone eating out of your hand! The recording industry will offer you a contract; major publishers will want your story - written for you by a ghost-writer, we know you're busy. And if you want to enter politics, well, the world's your oyster, frankly."

And then here comes Jesus' idea of a campaign. It's found in the verses we read. For this morning I'll confine myself to verse 34:

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'

It's the essence of the call to follow Jesus: we deny ourselves and take up our cross. Not only are they typical themes for Lent, they are themes for our entire lives. So this morning we'll explore what denying ourselves and taking up our cross might mean for us in our society today, and how that call might be heard.

next page

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ About Me ] [ Articles ] [ Kulcha ] [ Links ] [ Messenger ] [ Musings ] [ Search ]

Copyright © David D Faulkner, 2006 except where other sources are attributed or noted as inspiration.