Take Up Your Cross

Scripture: Mark 8:31-38

I ran into a friend at the store earlier this week, and we were discussing some of my back issues and other things on in our lives. Jokingly, I said something about “I guess it’s just my cross to bear.” But as I thought about it, I realized what an empty and false statement that really was. So I followed it up with – “Although, I’m pretty sure my back pain isn’t quite what Jesus was talking about.”

While we hear it constantly – that whatever suffering we’re personally going through at the moment is the “cross” we’re bearing – we utterly miss Jesus’ point when we make that statement. The cross is not something natural. The cross is not something that just is our natural fate in this world. We don’t have much of a choice when it comes to our physical, emotional, or even mental ailments. Those things aren’t our crosses – they’re simply a part of our failing bodies that remind us we won’t live forever.

Jesus was talking about something completely different when he commanded his followers to “pick up their crosses and follow him.” Suffering the natural ailments of life in general – wasn’t his point.

Taking up the cross means you’re putting something or someone ahead of yourself. That you’re submitting and subjecting yourself to perform God’s will in this world. To lay your life down for the sake of another.

And there is nothing natural about it.

In fact – to bear the cross, to submit to the will of God, is going to cause us to come in complete and utter conflict with the way in which the world naturally operates. It’s going to cause a clash of values – the clash between our worldly values, and the values of God.

Up to this point in the Gospel of Mark, following Jesus has been kinda cool. Got to watch him do some really wicked healings, some exorcisms, we’ve gotten to see him confront some of the religious leadership, listened to his teachings, maybe ruffled a few feathers.

But that’s what good revolutionaries do. Jesus appears to be a game-changer. We see that desire to follow a game-changer in our world today. To follow and support someone we think is going to be the answer to a nation’s problems. Whether it’s the “Arab Spring” of uprisings we’ve been seeing sweep across the Middle East, demanding governmental and leadership changes, or looking to our own political system at work during this election year, seeing the hunger and desire there is for someone to step up and solve our nation’s problems – to change our situation. Someone to fix our flailing economy, to figure out the right way to deal with nations like Iran and North Korea, a way to fix what we’ve got going on in Afghanistan.

In the case of Israel – there was a promised Messiah who was going to do exactly that. With an iron rod, the Messiah was going to rise up and restore Israel to its rightful place on the world-stage, making all nations stream to her. Someone who would cause all the other nations to bow down and submit to Israel’s world-wide leadership.

Someone to kick these Romans back to Italy and show ‘em who’s boss.

So here comes Jesus and his disciples. Jesus is making waves. Gaining followers. His time is coming – the disciples can just FEEL it. Hey – who’s going to be the greatest of his disciples? Who’s going to get to sit at his right hand? Who’s going to get to bask in the glory of this victory the most?

So Peter announces in confidence – “YES! You ARE the messiah!”

Jesus’ response. Don’t tell anybody.

Well, Jesus. A successful revolution requires followers. You’ve got to inspire them to storm the gates of Jerusalem.

What? You’re going to go to Jerusalem and… you’re going to be crucified. Uh – that’s not how this whole revolutionary thing works, Jesus.

You want us to… WHAT? Take up our crosses? DENY ourselves? We have to DIE to LIVE?

Uh… Jesus… that’s not how this works. Submitting to God’s will cannot possibly mean that his Messiah is going to go and die an agonizing CRIMINAL death on something as horrendous and terrible as the cross. Crucifixion isn’t the end result for God’s chosen. It can’t be. And it certainly can’t be what he asks of his followers.

It’s simply not how it’s done. It’s not logical. We know how the world works. Once you’re dead – you can’t accomplish anything.

Those are our values. Those are the values of the disciples. The values of the world. Dying simply isn’t how you accomplish… well, anything. According to human values, one's own life comes first. We might be kind and generous and thoughtful toward others, but when push comes to shove – we always look out for number one FIRST. Cultural norms dictate the priority of our own safety or privilege or physical comfort.

It’s how we work. Take care of things at home first – then worry about other people’s problems and issues.

We’re no different than Peter and the other disciples. What Jesus is suggesting simply doesn’t make sense if you’re trying to accomplish worldly success.

God’s values, however… are different. God’s values involve – denying your own values, your own wants, your own desires. Taking up your cross isn’t about suffering just for the mere sake of suffering. Nor is he suggesting forced servitude.

The key point – is suffering and dying for the sake of the gospel.

In 21st Century America – the concept is a little difficult for us to grasp. I think we struggle to figure out what it means to “deny ourselves” and to be willing to “die for the sake of the gospel” here in Kearney, Nebraska. Our threats aren’t as clear cut as Roman soldiers arresting, beating and killing us for simply gathering together to worship.

Our threats are more subtle. Our crosses – less gruesome. Submission to God’s will sometimes seems less clear and defined. Thus, to carry our cross sometimes is just as difficult to carry out.

But we do share something in common with the disciples of Jesus’ day. They knew and understand what the world deemed as successful. The world told them, just as it tells us, what needs to be done to be successful by its standards. The world and our society press their demands upon us, their expectations.

We may not be in situations where we literally have to give up our lives – we frequently find ourselves finding other ways, however, that we have to give up our livelihoods or our living standards. Putting our reputations on the line for the sake of someone else. Risking yourself to stand up and fight for another, knowing that doing so could mean being shunned by friends or co-workers, or even result in the loss of your own job or position. Sacrificing something that seems important at the time to help someone else.

To “deny ourselves” means putting someone ahead of our ourselves and our own notoriety or even security. To “deny ourselves” means risking everything for someone else.

And that – is no easy task. Ultimately – most of us are going to wind up like Peter.

When the time came and Peter was faced with the reality of what might happen to him if he was associated with Jesus – instead of denying himself – he denied Jesus. He was scared – and understandably so.

Self-preservation is one of the strongest natural instincts we have – whether it’s preservation of our lives, our livelihoods, or our reputations. In the end, most of us are going to fight for ourselves. We’ll deny others help. We’ll deny others our time. We’ll deny Jesus and God our devotion.

But here’s the good news… despite Peter’s denial, despite Peter’s inability to stand up and stand with Jesus – Jesus forgave. Peter’s priorities prior to the crucifixion were focused on the ways of the world – or as Jesus says – the ways of Satan, not of God – but when the resurrected Jesus came back from the dead – he renewed his relationship with Peter. And Jesus’ radical forgiveness and love for Peter… transformed Peter to become something new, something different.

Peter’s encounter with the risen Christ made him realize that he needed to shift his values. Jesus leaves his ministry and his commission with Peter and the disciples to carry out. Imperfect though they are still, their eyes are opened and they can see now the falseness of what the world values and sees what is important to God. Those who lose their lives, will save it.

 Their priorities shift. Tradition holds that Peter eventually is killed by also being crucified, only upside down as he did not view himself worthy enough to be crucified in the same manner as Christ.

The cross made no sense to Peter before Jesus’ death, however. For many – the cross still makes no sense. As Paul says, it is foolishness to those who are perishing.

But we live on the other side of that cross. We know now what is at stake. We know what Jesus’ mission here was and is – we know – or at least should know, that we’re not the center of the universe. That the world’s values are not the same as God’s. We can respond to the gracious Good News of what Christ has done for the world by taking up and bearing our cross for the sake of others… because we know Jesus took up his cross for OUR sake.