Take Up Your Cross

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’ Mark 8:27-9:1

Jesus and his disciples were in Caesarea Philippi, a place where traditionally folks worshipped Hellenistic and Roman gods. They were in what we might think of as foreign or alien territory. And it was there where Peter called him the Messiah, Jesus called him Satan and told us how to be true disciples or what we call Christians now. Three simple and yet very hard things. First, deny oneself, which means we can't have our way, be selfish and think ourselves in charge. Then we must take up our cross, which means we need to carry our own burdens and not lay them on others. And finally, we are to follow Jesus. Following Jesus means going into alien, strange, uncomfortable place and engaging and loving those different from us. The marks of being a Christian, a follower of Christ, have never changed.

Loving Creator, you are always with us

even when we are unwilling to love others

even when we put our burdens on others

and even when we try to get our own way.

The world is full of greed and selfishness

some disguise themselves as your followers

yet you have called us from the very beginning

to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow you.

Help us, dear Savior, to resist the selfishness

make us strong enough to be humble

make us humble enough to carry our crosses

and give us your love so we can follow daily. Amen.