Sermon 9-15-24 – Mark 8:27-39
HEAVENLY FATHER, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing to You our rock and our redeemer. Amen
Someone who drives a BMW might say: “Fords are for losers.”
A football player might say: “Soccer is for losers.”
and a foodie might say: “Frozen pizza is for losers.”
You can make up Your own if none of these seem to fit.
Even if those comments are made in jest, they still irritate. No one wants to be thought of as a loser. That’s why we try to keep up with the latest fashions and technology. But have you ever considered heaven is for losers?
That’s what our Gospel text is about this morning.
Peter and the other disciples had come to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Peter made the great profession about Jesus: “You are the CHRIST, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).Yeah Peter! But the disciples still had to learn what it meant that Jesus was the CHRIST.
The meaning of CHRIST is more than a part of Jesus’ name. CHRIST comes from the Greek word CHRISTos, which means anointed Jewish king who is yet to come. So when we refer to Jesus as the CHRIST it means He is more than our Savior from sin: He’s our king who deserves our allegiance.
Jesus was appointed to save the world from God’s anger over sin. That’s what Jesus meant when He told the disciples: “…the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again”.
Have we heard that Jesus had to suffer and die to pay for our sins so many times, that we’ve forgotten the real cost?
t time the disciples had heard Jesus speak about his upcoming death and they were shocked. It’s like the homeowner who had a leaky roof. It was just one spot, and it shouldn’t cost much to fix it. But the quote he received was for $20,000! Way more than he could have imagined; but to properly fix the problem the rotten roof sheathing, timbers and worn-out shingles all needed replacing.
The disciples didn’t really understand Jesus’ mission or how bad the problem of sin really was. They didn’t give a thought to the fact that Jesus would have to suffer and die – to fix the problem.
So Peter tried to dissuade Jesus. There was no need for this loser talk. That wasn’t the way for a king to think. That’s when Jesus took Peter aside and rebuked him pretty harshly. “‘Get behind me, satan! You do not have the things of God in mind, but the things of men.’
Peter– unintentionally insisting there was no need for Jesus to suffer and die, placed himself on satan’s side. Right after Jesus’ ministry, satan tempted Him with the offer to rule the world, if He’d just bow down to him.
Jesus didn’t tell Peter He’d think about it. He told him just how serious his suggestion was.
So how do we deal with temptation?
We often mull over a situation until we come up with a way to justify our actions, our words, our behavior then commit a particular sin –would be OK.
We often think that retaliation is my right because that person deserves it for being so mean. S/He did it first.
Or we ignore helping someone because they may misuse what we give them.
I can’t help someone at home because, I’ve already put in long hours at school. We seem to be able to come up with some justification to be comfortable in our sin. We let our opinion compromise our obedience to God.
Those are temptations we need to be rebuke immediately.
Interestingly enough, this text also illustrates how temptation can come from well-meaning friends.
Maybe it comes from the girl or boyfriend who suggests that moving in together would cut down on living expenses. Or it comes from your spouse who suggests that you can participate in a sinful situation if it’s legal and doesn’t hurt anyone. These are the temptations that are the most dangerous because they come to us from those we trust.
But now what did Jesus mean when He said to Peter “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Heaven is for those who have turned to Jesus in their despair admitting they can’t do it alone. Heaven is for the disobedient child who asks for forgiveness. Heaven is for all those who consistently fail to live as one of God’s children and seek God’s mercy and grace.
But heaven isn’t for those who simply brush away their sin, like bothersome flies. Neither is it for those who despair over their sins and refuse to be comforted by Jesus’ promise of forgiveness.
Jesus never said, “Take up my cross and follow me.” Jesus’ cross is different than ours. With His cross Jesus felt God’s righteous anger, so we wouldn’t have to go through the same thing.
We need not beat ourselves up over our sins. We do need to confess them, and truly be sorry for them; we need to stop living in them, knowing that thru Jesus God has forgiven us. That’s what Jesus accomplished at the cross. He doesn’t ask us now to carry His cross, but to take up our own cross.
We sometimes think that our cross is a horrible disease like cancer or some other burden in life, but it isn’t that at all.
Taking up your cross means to put others needs before your own. It means in whatever circumstance we have influence–we share the name of Jesus. We are to reach out in all circumstances so that the name of CHRIST will be proclaimed. It means living your life to God’s glory and not your own. It means taking every opportunity—good or bad, to praise the name of Jesus, His goodness and the joy you have in His name.
That’s the cross Jesus is talking about.
The world and our culture wants power and idolizes those who have it. But remember Jesus’ warning in regard to such thoughts? He said, “What’s the point of gaining all the power and all the riches in this world if you end up losing the eternal life of happiness?”
It’s like the parent who endures hours of cooking—getting so tired, making a mess, having to clean up, but happy to do if for the family s/he loves. It’s that kind of joyful service we will be happy to give others because Jesus continues to joyfully serve us.
We are all called to give up our self-centered nature that resists Jesus—and it’s not easy and is usually associated with struggle and pain. As Jesus led His doubtful disciples through a time of change so He will lead us through times of uncertainty as well.
Let us pray. Almighty God, Your Son, Jesus CHRIST, was lifted high upon the cross so that He might draw the whole world to Himself. Grant that we who glory in His death for our salvation may also glory in His call to take up our cross and follow Him; through Jesus CHRIST our Lord, Amen.
