Anyone who studies Sacred Scripture understands that there are some differences between the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We call the first three of these the Synoptic Gospels because they “take a common view” of the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ. St. John’s account is widely regarded as the latest chronologically of the four and the most distinct in its approach.

Even among the Synoptics, there are differences in emphasis, style, and content. For instance, Saints Matthew and Luke provide us distinct yet complementary details about the Incarnation and Birth of Christ. This year on Sundays, we have been hearing mostly from the Gospel according to St. Mark. Many scholars conclude that this was the very first Gospel to be written. It is the briefest of all the four and is characterized by a concise, matter-of-fact style.

Today, St. Mark tells us about an important conversation between Christ and Peter. We Catholics may be surprised that after St. Peter makes his profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the evangelist merely tells us that Jesus “warned [the disciples] not to tell anyone about him.” (Mk 8:27) St. Matthew in his Gospel tells us that after this profession of faith, Christ proclaimed that Peter would be the rock upon which He would build His Church. (cf. Mt 16:17–19) This is an important Scriptural reference to the role of Peter and his successors, the popes, in the Church. Unlike St. Matthew, however, St. Mark does not tell us that Jesus said anything after Peter’s profession of faith other than to keep quiet about it.

What is the significance of this difference between the two Gospels? It does not mean that the Gospels are unreliable when it comes to Jesus’ words and deeds. It does not mean that we should consider one of them to be more reliable than another based on arbitrary criteria. It means that the four Gospel writers emphasized different things that Jesus said and did. That should not surprise us, for the same thing happens often today. Different eyewitnesses to the same event emphasize diverse aspects of what happened. Different editors chose to highlight varied pieces of reliable information. So it is with our Gospel texts. Though all the writers agree on the central points regarding the identity, life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, they sometimes differ in what they emphasize.

What is St. Mark’s emphasis in today’s passage? In short, it is that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Messiah. However, He will be a Messiah who will suffer. A suffering Messiah was not what the People of Israel were expecting, despite so many prophecies of the Old Testament that indicated it would happen. We heard such an account in the First Reading from Isaiah: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” (Is 50:6) Instead of a suffering Christ, most Jews were expecting a Messiah that would come in majesty and power to restore the kingdom of Israel to earthly glory.

In contrast, Jesus openly taught that that “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.” (Mk 8:31) Although St. Peter had the courage to proclaim His faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the idea of a suffering Messiah scandalizes Him. He takes Christ aside and rebukes Him. This requires the Lord to utter some strong words: “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mk 8:33)

At this moment in the Gospel narrative, St. Peter and the other disciples still have much to learn about Jesus’ mission. They have much to learn about their own mission, which will include suffering, just as their Messiah and Lord will suffer. They will not fully understand this until after Christ rises from the dead. It is the Resurrection that will reveal the meaning and purpose of His suffering. Thus, we can understand why Christ warned His closest collaborators not to proclaim His identity as the Messiah until the time was right. For they would not be able to understand that identity fully until after His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Those who think and live by the logic of the world are still scandalized by those words of Christ: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” (Mk 8:34–35) Our modern Western culture trains us to avoid suffering, to numb pain by any means necessary, to try to outrun the inevitable weakening of our bodies and minds. Those of us who are blessed with lives of abundance and comfort can easily fall into despair when distress and agony come our way.

If we truly follow Christ, however, we will recognize in all the trials we face in life concrete opportunities to unite ourselves to Him. Like St. Paul, we must say: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” (Gal 6:14) We can do this only through the grace of God. We can do it only through the inspiration of our Messiah, who endured the cross for our salvation and destroyed the power of death by rising from the grave.

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