Text: Mark 8:31-38 (Good News Bible, New English Version)
Vs. 36 (a): Do people gain anything if they win the whole world but lose their life?
What has become of life, if everything we do is driven by fear?
If you look around you, many of us do constantly live in fear, one way or another; whether it is something as vain as “am I pretty enough”, or “am I thin enough”, or “do I have enough money”, to “I am too scared to take an HIV test”, or “I am too scared to tell my partner about my HIV” … HIV did not start the fear of stigma and discrimination – it did increase it, but it did not start it.
We have been doing this ourselves for centuries and it almost always comes down to the fact that we want to win and own the world – and the people in it. What people think of me is more important than me standing up for my values, my faith, for what I believe in.
Almost all of us have cried when someone passed away. This is because one minute they are there somewhere in our lives and the next instant gone forever and then we wished that we have said something or wondered if we said everything we should have. And there was probably something I did not say, because I was afraid of how they would have taken my words.
When we read this section, we hear that Jesus tells his disciples of his coming death and resurrection. We are reminded of this during this time of Lent. Jesus is the only one with the answer to our biggest fear – our mortality. The answer to all our questions of fear is so simple that sometimes we cannot grasp it … Jesus.
Ask yourselves this question: “what do I gain from living in fear?” Does it change or improve anything in my life. In the end does it matter? Will fear stop you from losing your life?
Jesus has risen to give us peace of mind and the strength to conquer all our obstacles, but not only that; He is also the answer to our living for eternity. The answer to our fear really is that simple – Jesus.