There are some games where the person who ends up with the most money or pieces at the finish is the winner. Just last night my two adult children and myself were playing the board game Monopoly. The purpose of the game is to get the most property, build houses on that property, get the most money, and bankrupt the other players. Last night the winner was my son. There are many people who go through life with that as their goal. They feel that the goal in life is to end with the most money, the most belongings, the most things. Their physical life, here and now, is what is important to them, but not their soul. In our Gospel passage for this week, Jesus addresses this matter. Let’s see what He has to tell us today.
As our Scripture passage opens, Peter had just proclaimed Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, the Son of God. After such a glorious proclamation, Jesus revealed to the disciples that the chief priests and Jewish elders were going to have Him killed, but that He would rise again from the dead on the third day (vs. 21). Such news disturbed the disciples, and Peter again spoke up for them all, saying that such a thing should not happen (vs. 22). Peter sought to protect Jesus from this suffering.
Peter did not yet know that if Jesus did not go to the cross, there could be no salvation. Jesus saw Peter’s words as temptation to turn back from the crucifixion, and rebuked him (vs. 23). Jesus had come with the express purpose of dying as an atonement for sin. Those who tried to thwart that were doing Satan’s work. Peter was looking at this from man’s perspective, not God’s.
Jesus then continued to teach the disciples an important spiritual lesson and truth. To truly follow Jesus means to deny our selfish goals in life (vs. 24). A person who was condemned to death, one who was to be executed, would carry their cross to the execution site. Following Jesus means a true commitment, a risk of death, and no turning back. We must be willing to give up everything in life, give up our desires to get more money, to own more and more luxuries, and to instead follow Jesus wherever He leads us.
We may be willing to follow Jesus when He is going where we want to go, but how about when He leads us down a road of sacrifice? What about when that path leads to a place of self-denial, of suffering, or even a path that ends in death? Will we follow Jesus then? If we seriously choose to follow Jesus, we must be willing to deny ourselves from everything that stands in the way of our relationship with Him. We must step up and take up our cross to follow Jesus wherever He leads.
As our Scripture passage continues God teaches us that this life is just the introduction to eternity. If we put the pursuit of money and possessions first, we will risk our eternal soul. However, if we pursue God and His kingdom, if we have accepted His Son Jesus as our Savior, we will gain eternal life (vs. 25-26). So many people spend their life trying to get more and more, yet what we accumulate on earth has no value in our eternal life.
Jesus calls His followers to give their life by following wherever He leads them. Sometimes that might mean by giving one’s life in death for Him. The blood of thousands of martyrs watered the early church, causing it to grow. The roar of the lions, the shouts of the angry crowds demanding their death could not stop these Christian’s faith. Jesus said those who are persecuted for His sake are blessed (Matthew 5:10-12).
There will come a time when death will come for each of us. At that moment we will be helpless. The size of our bank account will not stop death, and that money will matter nothing. Nor will the number of possessions we have matter any. The only thing that will matter is whether we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior. If we have asked Jesus to be our Savior, at the moment of death He will welcome us into His home in heaven. Without Him, an eternity in hell awaits you. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do so now, as we never know when our last moment will be.
No comments:
Post a Comment