An Eternal Mindset

In our discussion of Mark 8, one theme kept coming up. From the "yeast of the Pharisees" to Jesus's rebuke of Peter, that theme was the importance of focusing on eternal things.

It's not an easy thing to do. Jesus warned his disciples against the "yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod". He was warning them not to focus on the things of the world--gaining acclaim, wealth, leisure, or power, for example. His disciples missed the point, and focused on a basic earthly need--food.

Later, Jesus predicted he would be killed. He also predicted he would rise three days later. Peter took him aside and rebuked him. Most likely, Peter had a cultural idea of what the Messiah would be: a conquering king in the mold of David, a mortal favored by God who would set up an enduring kingdom of Israel. Dying didn't fit into that picture.

Jesus responded to the rebuke by saying "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Let's focus on the things of God. Taking up your cross daily (or in modern terms, strapping into your electric chair daily) might not be easy, but it's the price Jesus asked for the reward he offered.

Honor, Worship, and Your Marriage

In the passage we discussed tonight, Jesus responded to a challenge from the Pharisees by pointing out that, as Isaiah said,

These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain...

After discussing what it means to worship in vain (going through motions to make oneself look or feel good; external behavior that doesn't come from the heart, and so on), we changed the context.

Instead of God's relationship to people, we talked about the marriage relationship. Is it possible to honor your spouse with your lips while your heart is far from him/her, and to love him/her in vain? After talking about what that might look like, and what it might feel like, the group came up with some good suggestions for avoiding or breaking out of that selfish mode.

• Be mindful of selfish behavior, and practice replacing "love in vain" with genuine love.
• Reviewing things you like/appreciate/love about your spouse when tempted to "love in vain".
  
• Confessing (to your spouse and to God) when you catch yourself loving in vain.

I think I may have forgotten a suggestion. If anyone remembers what it was, please post it in the comments.