In
a sense, I think Peter was trying to be bold and brave as he pulled Jesus to
the side, scolded and corrected him. Scripture does not record Peter’s words at
that moment , but I imagine him saying something like, “They won’t treat you
that way as long as we are here, Jesus. We won’t let them!” Maybe even a, “only
over my dead body will they get you.” Peter loved Jesus and couldn’t imagine Jesus
being rejected, betrayed and killed. Jesus the Messiah would surely rise to
power and squash the military might of the Romans with all the fury and power
of God. Doesn’t that make sense? But as Isaiah reminds us, “God’s ways are not
our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.”
Jesus,
again, uses this as a teaching moment. He calls the crowd together around the
disciples and then began to speak. Hear this passage as translated by Eugene
Peterson in The Message:
“Anyone
who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You are not in the driver’s
seat;
I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how.
Self-help
is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your
true
self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real
you?
What
could you ever trade your soul for?
━ Mark 8:34-37
“Pick
up your cross and follow me.” Often we use those words when someone has an
extreme burden to bear—a tragedy, a sickness, and unbelievable turn in life. I
do not want, in any shape or form, to seem to be saying that is an incorrect or
bad way of understanding this invitation from Jesus. But there is another piece
to this story, another understanding. I would probably say it parallels the
first.
To pick up our cross and follow is to go wherever Jesus leads. It is prayerfully keeping our eyes, ears and hearts fully tuned to God’s voice. It requires us to stop and check-in often, to look around with each step and make sure that we are following and not attempting to lead. Our following may as likely lead us to helping someone as it will call us to suffering. We are not to turn from the suffering, but neither are we to turn from the daily following.
To pick up our cross and follow is to go wherever Jesus leads. It is prayerfully keeping our eyes, ears and hearts fully tuned to God’s voice. It requires us to stop and check-in often, to look around with each step and make sure that we are following and not attempting to lead. Our following may as likely lead us to helping someone as it will call us to suffering. We are not to turn from the suffering, but neither are we to turn from the daily following.
What
is keeping you from picking up fully following Christ today?
~
Rich Greenway
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