Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28
Today’s gospel story immediately follows
Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. It
seems like this is a continuation of the conversation about who Jesus is. But I
think it was another conversation, for another time.
Today's text says, "from that time
on...." Jesus began to talk about the plan for him to suffer and die at
the hands of the leaders and be raised from death. This must have become part
of Jesus' regular conversations with the disciples.
If we had been there we would probably have
reacted exactly the same way Peter did! When Jesus talks about suffering and
dying, he is saying something the disciples don't want to even think about. How
can he establish an army and conquer the Romans if he is dead? They are so
shocked to hear he will die soon that they are not able to hear the rest of the
plan. They never hear the part about the resurrection, about returning in
glory.
So, here is Peter, suffering from
foot-in-mouth disease, thinking about human plans and not waiting to be open to
God's plans. Jesus must have been very frustrated with Peter at this point because
the text says Jesus rebukes him. Rebuke is a strong word; it is the same word
used when Jesus stills the storm.
Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan!” I have
no way of proving this, but I believe that Jesus continued for much of his life
doing battle with temptations. That is why he needed to so frequently connect
with God in prayer. He needed the assurance that he was on the right path, staying
with the original plan.
I’d like to think that Plan A was for
Jesus to come as he did, and tell everyone about God's love and forgiveness.
Everyone would believe in him, and the world would change. But God knows us
well enough to realize that that was not going to happen. So, it couldn't be
Plan A.
It was only after the resurrection that
Peter and the other disciples were able to put together what Jesus had been
talking about. Plan A was the cross, Jesus' sacrificial giving of himself for
us, followed by the resurrection. Because the tomb is now empty, anything is
possible.
Jesus says to the disciples and to the
crowds, “Take up your cross and follow me.” In order to follow Jesus, one must
live sacrificially. In the first centuries after Jesus death and resurrection,
many people were persecuted and martyred for their faith. Over the centuries, probably
millions have died for their faith in Jesus.
While some Christians have always been
persecuted, it is rare in the US. In other places around the world today, Christians
are leaving Israel and Palestine because they are tired of restrictions. In
Iraq and Egypt and Indonesia, it is risky today to be Christian. The Christian folks
who live in such places live sacrificially.
The Apostle Paul describes sacrificial
living. Instead of the self-focused lives many people prefer, Paul challenges
us to live as Jesus lived. Many folks here give of themselves in significant
ways. For example:
Harold and Kay spend hours each week
driving the 'old people' to doctors' offices and the grocery store. We
sometimes joke about that, because Harold will be 98 next Sunday.
I don't know how many hours a week Carole
spends at Hope and doing things for Hope, but I do know it is significant. With
a team of volunteers, she decorates tables for our parties, she purchases stuff
for the shoe boxes, she wraps Christmas gifts for our adopted families, and so
forth.
Others give as much, too, keeping our
property looking great, replacing light bulbs, pulling weeds, caring for the
memorial garden, updating our advertising, emptying and filling worship binders
and booklets, and so much more.
I know that some folks give financial
support to Hope which amounts to sacrificial giving. Sacrificial giving isn’t
necessarily large dollars, but a significant percentage of income. I hope you
have all responded to my challenge to give extra this month, and discovered how
great it feels to give sacrificially.
Taking up the cross, and living
sacrificially is not painful but a joy-filled experience. The more we try it,
the more we will find true joy in our lives, and the more we will connect with Jesus,
and experience what John calls eternal life.
Please pray with me. Jesus, we thank you
for giving your life for us. Teach us to give our lives for others, and to find
joy in sacrificial living. Amen
