FOLLOWING JESUS
Luke 9:22-45
“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Isaiah describes our Lord as “a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” and that blends very well with Jesus’ description of himself here. It is not the description of a man who seeks out suffering, or causes others to want to harm him, but the path he walks is one of sacrifice in service and obedience. Here is where I think we should understand the phrase “deny themselves and take up their cross daily” because if we are to follow him then we too will walk the path of sacrifice in service. It is not sacrifice, or denial, or letting the needs of others take priority, in themselves, that is desired for a disciple, but in the course of service and obedience.
However, we must also understand that the destiny of the Son of Man, the Master whom we follow, is to be raised by God to life. In other words, his sacrifice and his obedience in service enjoys the power of God to defeat the power of evil, sin and death. We must know that as we follow our Master on the same path, our sacrifice and obedience will likewise not be in vain.
And that promise, that destiny, was what Peter, James and John caught a glimpse of on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured before their eyes. Moses and Elijah were on hand to attest to the truth that Jesus’ destiny was a fulfilment of their own vision, and to seal it all, a voice from heaven came, saying “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
If this is the whole picture, I think faith would not be too difficult. However, we live, not on the mountain, but in the valley, where the crowd is, and that crowd, as Jesus describes, is “unbelieving and perverse.” Even he expressed frustration!
This is where we need to be careful and realise that the problem is not on the side of God, but on the side of man. In this world we will have trouble, but we rejoice because our Master has overcome the world. Will we still be able to follow the path of our Lord, in sacrificial service and obedience, as we experience the frustration of ministering to the crowd? This is the challenge.
To do so, our vision of Jesus must be crystal clear; our sense of destiny must be unwavering; and our acceptance of the aptness of what Jesus said to his disciples, and to us, must shape our life:
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:15-17)