{"id":1251,"date":"2015-03-01T14:09:33","date_gmt":"2015-03-01T20:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=1251"},"modified":"2015-03-01T16:45:17","modified_gmt":"2015-03-01T22:45:17","slug":"following-self-or-following-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/03\/01\/following-self-or-following-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"Following Self or Following Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Audio Version<\/a><\/p>\n

Genesis 17:1\u20137, 15\u201316
\nPsalm 22:23\u201331
\nRomans 4:13\u201325
\nMark 8:31\u201338<\/p>\n

Control is a wonderful thing, isn\u2019t it? When we are in control, we get to decide how things will be. We are no longer subject to the will of others. We decide when we want to get up, go to work or maybe not work. Total control allows us so many opportunities. Have you ever thought that you had everything under control? Everything is running so smooth. It seems like that you cannot do wrong.<\/p>\n

I have had those times, but they are difficult to recall. I am sure though, that when I did have times of total control, they were very short lived. In all reality, at least in my experience, the more control I have, the more out of control I really am. How about a time where everything appears to be running perfect but then it all comes crashing down?<\/p>\n

I am not sure we all hear what Jesus says, in a way of comfort. Take up your cross, may not seem all that comfortable. The gospel is suppose be good news. The words in this gospel are so often used not as good news, not life giving as the gospel is meant to be. Instead the words can be turned into law. The law is never life giving.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t pretend to know where everyone is at in his or her personal lives or spiritual lives. Some of us may be in good situations. At least today we feel that things are going well. I am sure that we can all relate to a time in our lives when things were not well. The words of Jesus today tell us that if we want to become a follower of Jesus, a disciple, to take up our cross and follow Him.<\/p>\n

This can sound like that, if we are suffering, then we must be bearing the cross and following Jesus. The more we suffer, the better job of being a disciple, right? Does that mean that if we are in a job where our employer is abusing us, we are being good disciples? What about family relationships where someone is making our lives miserable? The more miserable, the better disciple we are? How about an abusive spouse, verbally, mentally or physically? Is Jesus really telling you to stay in the relationship, because it is your cross to carry?<\/p>\n

No, none of those situations fit to what Jesus is speaking of. Is that how sometimes people hear it? Yes, they sure do. Maybe you even heard it that way at one time or another, or even still today. That is not what Jesus is saying though.<\/p>\n

The advantage of doing supply preaching at multiple locations, is that sometimes I get to use an illustration story a couple of times. Today is one of those days. I was listing in on a Bible study recently, while preparing for another sermon. In this study, one of the men said, \u201cWe are called to suffer as Christ did for us.\u201d I think this person heard once to often \u201cpick up your cross and follow Jesus\u201d, in a totally wrong context. I had to do everything I could not to jump from my seat and holler, \u201cNoooooo! Jesus suffered so that we do not have to!\u201d It is not that suffering does not happen but we are not called by God to suffer but instead God comes to us in our sufferings. Sometimes life can involve suffering. Sometimes this is by no choice of our own, by our own decisions or even others.<\/p>\n

If this gospel today is not telling us that we must suffer with our own cross, then what is it saying? We are all human beings here, last time I checked that is. We have a tendency to look for the easy way in life. Why take the rough road, when there is an easy one ahead. Control is what we can see as the easy road. If we can just do it ourselves, then this, or that or whatever is, is within our grasp, our control.<\/p>\n

Peter is told that he is setting his mind on human things, not divine. God did the hard thing. The Father allows the Son to be crucified so we did not have to die. When Jesus says pick up the cross, He speaks of the worldly ways that impede us from experiencing the fullness of God, here and now. Jesus is saying, deny ourselves of those things that take our focus from the one and only true God.<\/p>\n

Those that want to save their lives need to loose it. In our baptism, we die to our old life, our old self and are raised in new life in our baptism, into the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. When we concentrate on all the worldly things, they just become other gods, idols. We may even fool ourselves into thinking that we have gained the entire world but only to find out that in doing so, we have forfeited life in Jesus the Christ.<\/p>\n

Abraham and Sarah, both by worldly standards, were not capable of having children anymore, yet in God, through faith, Sarah and Abraham bore a nation. In God, all things are possible, through faith that is given to us freely by the Spirit of God. We have new life, one free from death, not because of human things but because of God, in Christ Jesus. Jesus says take up the cross. This is where God comes down and meets us.<\/p>\n

In a commentary regarding the gospel text today, it sums this all up very nicely.<\/p>\n

“As long as self reigns, we will forever be seeking painless shortcuts to the \u00a0 kingdom. We will try and try again to substitute another way for the way of the \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0cross. But only when we deny self and take up the cross can we follow Jesus. \u00a0 All of our attempts to save our lives are futile (vv. 35\u201338). All our efforts to \u00a0make another way are a denial of the one who showed us the way, the way of \u00a0the cross. This is true discipleship. In the end, true messiahship and true \u00a0discipleship are inextricably connected. When we are finally willing to accept \u00a0Jesus for who he is, the suffering one who lays down his life for others, then \u00a0we can understand who we are to be, and denying self, we can take up the cross and follow him.”[1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Hear the words of Jesus as gospel. Jesus 34<\/sup> \u201c\u2026called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, \u2018If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35\u00a0<\/sup>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. 36\u00a0<\/sup>For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37\u00a0<\/sup>Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?\u2019 \u201c[2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> W. Hulitt Gloer, \u201cHomiletical Perspective on Mark 8:31\u201338,\u201d in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B<\/em>, ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, vol. 2 (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), 73.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/em> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Mk 8:34\u201337.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Audio Version Genesis 17:1\u20137, 15\u201316 Psalm 22:23\u201331 Romans 4:13\u201325 Mark 8:31\u201338 Control is a wonderful thing, isn\u2019t it? When we are in control, we get to decide how things will be. We are no longer subject to the will of others. We decide when we want to get up, go to work or maybe not … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[90,21,10,5,56,70,83,31],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-admin","4":"post-1251","6":"format-standard","7":"category-control","8":"category-faith","9":"category-jesus","10":"category-law","11":"category-lent","12":"category-life","13":"category-sermon","14":"category-theology-of-the-cross"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-kb","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1421,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/10\/22\/really\/","url_meta":{"origin":1251,"position":0},"title":"Really?","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"October 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-y-x7hWAb3A Audio Version Sunday, October 18, 2015 | After Pentecost Proper 24 Year B Old Testament\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Isaiah 53:4\u201312 New Testament \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hebrews 5:1\u201310 Gospel\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Mark 10:35\u201345[1] When I read verse 35, which mind you is the first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Attitude"","block_context":{"text":"Attitude","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/attitude\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/-y-x7hWAb3A\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3185,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2024\/02\/19\/what-is-possible\/","url_meta":{"origin":1251,"position":1},"title":"What is possible","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"February 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"02-18-2023First Sunday of LentMark 10:17-31 (NIV)","rel":"","context":"In "Attitude"","block_context":{"text":"Attitude","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/attitude\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1356,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/06\/21\/gods-work-and-the-mystery-of-grace\/","url_meta":{"origin":1251,"position":2},"title":"God\u2019s Work and the Mystery of Grace","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"June 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/youtu.be\/yeAPBWLE860 Audio version Psalm 92:1\u20134, 12\u201315 Mark 4:26\u201334 I am sure by now that you may have heard that God lavishly extends God\u2019s grace upon us. 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