Taking up the Cross
Luke 9:18-27
18 Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” 20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”
21 He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
23 Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. 25 What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? 26 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Today’s and Monday’s readings prepare us for Lent, and the 40 days that lead us to the cross. Jesus’ turn towards the cross happens definitively in Luke in 9:51. In this passage it is made clear that the cross is central not just to Jesus being the Messiah, but also that the cross is central to the lives of all who would follow Jesus. To follow a crucified Messiah, means to be willing to be crucified ourselves.
Peter speaks the truth about who Jesus is, and immediately begins to let the disciples know that the Messiah will suffer, be killed, and then be raised on the third day. We have seen hints already in Luke that a showdown was coming, but now it is clearly on the table.
Notice that the debate between Peter and Jesus about whether Jesus will die (see Mark 8), is not present in Luke. Instead, Luke takes us directly to Jesus’ strong words about his followers being called to take up their crosses and follow Jesus.
The cross we are each called to bear is something we do for the sake of Jesus, the cross we bear is related to our following of Jesus. So thinking back to Wednesday’s passage about the new family – it maybe that some of the members of Jesus family are hard to get along with, showing them love and compassion may be the cross we are called to bear. Cross-bearing is something we do in our following of Jesus for his sake and for the sake of his family. And just like Jesus we are called to sacrifice our comforts for the higher calling of serving Jesus by serving others.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we are thankful that your Son, Jesus, took up his cross, so that we might be lifted out of the darkness and hopelessness of sin. Give us the courage to take up our crosses, in imitation of your Son, so that the hope of his cross might be seen in all the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.