Jesus said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
When Peter and the disciples heard those words, they were shocked and dismayed. A cross was a symbol of death and the power of the Roman empire to subjugate the people, especially people who dared to disagree. The people wanted a Savior to bring peace, stop the terrors of the occupying forces and bring God’s kingdom to earth. So when Jesus came miraculously healing those who were hurting with both God’s word and with fish and bread; fed those who were hungry and proclaimed God’s word with authority, not bowing to Empire, Peter caught the vision. And, when he proclaimed Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God, Jesus acknowledged this insight as sent from God. It is no wonder that Peter assumed that the one who had authority over demons and chaos should not have to suffer and die. But this is where Jesus stops him with a cold and hard rebuke.
Jesus did not come to earth to use his power to for his own glory – or those. Instead, Jesus wants his followers to understand: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Jesus’ words no longer shock us in the way they shocked and dismayed Peter and the other disciples. We have heard them before; and, we live on the other side of Easter. The empty cross is now the symbol of Christ’s death AND resurrection. And so, Jesus’ invitation to deny our ego-self and take up our cross is an invitation to put on Christ as a reminder of who we are and whose we are and who we are called to follow.
While it is not as dangerous to be a follower of Jesus as it was for the disciples, it also is not as “normative” as it once was either. Schools never used to schedule events on Wednesday nights and blue laws were in effect not only for schools but also businesses so on Sundays, nothing was scheduled. But now, Sundays and Wednesday nights no longer “belong” to the church.
But, being a practicing Christian isn’t without cost today. Maybe you will have to talk with personnel if you want to go to Holy Week services. Maybe your kids won’t make the baseball team if they don’t participate in the Sunday morning baseball games and I’m told that ice time on Sunday mornings is practically sacred for hockey practices. Another result of the secularization of society is that people don’t know – and so assume – that we as Lutherans are the same as the more vocal non-denominational Christians. For us, it is becoming more and more important to be able to say what it means that you follow Jesus.
Denying yourself, picking up your cross – or rather putting on the cross of Christ – and following Jesus means putting Jesus first in your life. When we put Jesus first, then we get our priorities straight.
Following Jesus, putting Jesus first in your life will affect the decisions that you make about how you spend your time, your money, your energy and your life.
Years ago, a theologian wrote, “We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table – “Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.” But the reality for most of us is that [God]he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1000 dollars for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there… Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time.”
I think inflation has gone up since he wrote that piece – but you get the idea.
When I think about what it means to deny oneself, put on the cross of Christ and follow, I think of the many acts of love that I have witnessed. They are priceless. For example…
When I visited Carolyn Lageson, I asked her where she saw God at work in her apartment building. She was eager to tell about her friend Ben who shared his beautiful voice and her friend Jane who played the piano so that their senior apartment building could host a “proper” worship service each week. She also told me about the woman who changed her dining room table (apparently it’s a “thing” where you sit – reminds me of junior high). This woman changed her seating assignment so that she could help a woman with Parkinsons be able to eat. That sounds like putting on the cross of Christ to me.
But then I said to Carolyn, these people sound lovely, but what about you? I have noticed that you are always the one to reach out to someone who is new or is in need. You have the gift of noticing others and their gifts and helping them to feel welcome, needed and important. She blushed and tried to change the subject. I know she’s humble but I think it is important to acknowledge that when you use the gifts that God has given you to help your neighbor, you are serving Christ.
There are many ways that I see members of our church and our church community putting on the cross of Christ to care for their neighbor. Last year one member and his wife shoveled the walks every time it snowed – which was a lot! We were grateful - and recognized that we could put a team together so that the work and joy of serving in this way could be shared.
Caring for the neighbor can be fun! Our women’s W/ELCA group is rediscovering this as they invite the women of our congregation and the Wildfire churches to gather together for community and service projects. Already we have found that some have the gift of making beautiful cards and making it easy for even the least arts and crafty of us (me) to make something beautiful. This group also has the gift of hospitality and so everyone – regardless of ability – can feel that they belong.
Of course, the blessings and the challenges of putting on Christ extend beyond our congregation and community. Lutheran Campus Ministry works to help students connect their stories with God’s story. They shared this testimony by U of M Senior Shelby Erickson: “Almost all my classes are centered on climate change in some way. I learn about the many issues the world is facing and will hopefully help solve one day, but also, it can be draining as I am constantly bombarded with the idea that: 1) there are many different facets to climate change and 2) there is too much to overcome, and we can’t fix it.” She goes on to say, “It can be easy to fall into the pit of despair of life, with the constant bombardment of information that we have readily accessible — we as humans were not meant to experience this much pain in a single day.” But when that happens, she says, “Then I look for something new. Or something old that helps remind me of who I am, whose I am, and why I am here.”
It's that a great reminder? In those times when we start to despair, you and I, like Shelby, can look for reminders of: “Who you are, whose you are and why you are here.” For, like Shelby, you are a beloved child of God who belongs to Christ and is called to put on the cross of Christ and follow in the way of Jesus Christ.
This isn’t always easy. But we can take comfort in recognizing that we are not facing this challenge alone. We are a community in Christ and together we can pray and sing for Jesus to walk with us on this journey. To close, I’d like to invite you to pray with me a prayer written by Pastor and Poet Steve Garnaas-Holmes.
God, give me heart to hold the trembling hand
of one who is in pain, to sit with their pain, to hold their trembling.
Give me faith to stand in the wound of the world
and hold the edges, be the healing bond.
Give me courage to risk the stones, standing
with one who's being stoned by hate and fear.
Give me love to forgive the one who's caused me pain
whose pain was too great to bear alone.
Give me spirit to give myself to healing, though it hurt,
to blessing, though it cost.
Christ be in me to suffer for the sake of love, knowing that any cross I bear is yours; carry all the weight, and labor by my side.2 Amen.
February 25, 2024 + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
1Fred Craddock, cited in Leadership (Fall 1984) 45
2Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding Light www.unfoldinglight.net