AM I REJECTING MY CROSS?
16 Sept 2018 Sun -
Sharing notes of homily by Rev Fr Alex Chua @ The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
*Note: these notes do not cover the entire homily, just the particular points which prompted me to take down
Today’s Gospel - Mark 8:27–35
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he charged them to tell no one about him.
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”
34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Are we like Peter, trying to get Jesus to change his mind?
Do we recall the times we ask God to take away our crosses?
- To reject the crosses of our lives is to reject Jesus on the cross.
- To reject Jesus on the cross is to reject the Gospel of God.
- To reject the Gospel of God is to reject God Himself.
Do we hear God telling us, “Get behind me, Satan?”
The suffering and dying of Jesus is not a one time affair at Calvary. It is not only at every Good Friday either. It is daily.
We crucify Jesus daily in our lives, in our hearts.
God sent His son to suffer with us, to help us carry our endless crosses in this life so that we can persevere every step of the way all the way to Calvary.
This is true Christianity.
“Take up your cross and follow me.”
It is a difficult message.
This is a message that echoes the beatitudes (Mat 5:1-12). The Kingdom of heaven lies there.
What kind of Messiah do we make Jesus be?
Do we reject the crosses we are called to carry?
Do we want to follow our own brand of Christianity, or the one God has offered us.
The Gospel message is clear
"Take up your cross and follow me.”
And He promised He will be with us.
Comments
Post a Comment