Take Up Your Cross – August 30, 2020 Sermon

Jesus calls his followers to take up the cross and follow him. As disciples we are called to view the world through the lens of the cross and to transform our lives. Today’s sermon for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost focuses on Matthew 16:21-28 and concludes with Romans 12:9-21.

I found helpful Jin S. Kim’s “Pastoral Perspective” column in Feasting on the Word, Year A Volume 4, pages 20-25, as well as Mark Williamson’s GodPause devotional for August 26, 2020.

Here’s the sermon video and audio recordings.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

If you remember last week’s reading, Simon Peter appeared to be the perfect disciple. We heard this story about how the world had the wrong impression of Jesus, thinking he was just like one of the other ancient prophets, and the other disciples were silent and uncertain about who Jesus was, but when Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter spoke up. He knew the answer. He understood: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Peter got it! And on this rock-solid foundation of Peter’s confession of faith, Jesus declared he would build his church, and even the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. It’s the best moment of Peter’s life. What a great hero of faith!

But that’s not the end of the story. That’s not even the end of the chapter!

As we continue into today’s reading, Jesus’ identity is out there, and “from that time on” Jesus takes his teaching to the next level and he starts talking about the cross, about what’s going to happen to him.

And Peter, who’d just seemed to have everything figured out, Peter turns out to be totally misunderstanding Jesus’ mission. Jesus is the Messiah, but that doesn’t mean what Peter thinks.

Still, Peter’s recognition of Jesus’ identity is an important turning point, because the cross where Jesus is going only makes sense in connection with knowing Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Otherwise, it’s just some guy dying, executed by the state. Only if Jesus is the Son of God, God in the flesh, God with us, does the cross matter for us today.

But Peter’s not there yet. All he’s hearing is that the One he thought was the Messiah, the one he was so sure was the Son of God, is now talking about suffering and dying. He understood the first part—Jesus is the Son of God—but he can’t grasp what that means. His picture of God’s glory doesn’t include a cross.

When Peter thinks of sacrifice, he thinks of us giving up something to God, not God giving up Godself for us. He’s looking for a savior to defeat the evil powers in this world, to rescue him, not someone who will be subject to the same powers of evil!




So he takes Jesus aside and begins to rebuke him, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” The “Rock” turns into a stumbling block.

It’s easy, I think, for us to shake our heads at Peter for not getting it. We would never do what Peter does and rebuke Jesus for talking about dying. We all know better, right? If there’s one thing we all learned in Sunday School, it’s that Jesus died for our sins. It’s at the heart of our faith.

And yet, we keep doing the same thing as Peter. We keep trying to fit God into our own box, our own image of what a Messiah or Son of God should look like. We keep trying to understand Jesus as an earthly leader, a politician or a warrior, rather than a suffering servant. We want him to meet our expectations.

We want to protect Jesus from the dirt, keep the church clean, keep our Lord somewhere safe, somewhere away from the muck of our lives. And yet, the message of the cross is that Jesus can take the worst this world can throw at him. Christianity’s unique proclamation is that God—the almighty eternal Creator of the world—has entered into the mess of our world, into the muck of our lives, and that’s good news.

We don’t need to protect Jesus; he wants to come in and shine light into the darkest shadows of our lives. Peter tries to protect Jesus from himself, but Jesus’ whole mission as the Messiah is to take the worst humanity can dish out.

Jesus is not some professor teaching about God from an ivory tower, or a politician jetting in to say how she’ll fix our problems and then leaving again; he’s Immanuel, God with us, the Word made flesh, dwelling among us. He’s the good shepherd who comes to live among the flock, who lays down his life for the sheep.

So what does it mean to follow a leader like that? What’s it look like to be a disciple of a God who’s willing to enter into this messed-up, broken world and undergo great suffering and be killed and then be raised?

Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”

To follow Jesus means to take up a cross. It means to deny ourselves, to give up our own desires for power, for wealth, for authority, to give up the human things, and to instead take up a symbol of powerlessness and humiliation, a means of execution.

It means to identify not as a ruler or conqueror or judge, but rather to identify with the suffering, the imprisoned, the powerless. It’s not an easy call.

Following Jesus means seeing both God and the world through the lens of the cross, which is a very different lens than the one the world around us has. And the world’s lens can look pretty tempting.

Especially in these next few months, the world and the media is going to tell us to interpret everything through the lens of fear and competition. If you watched any of the last two weeks of political conventions, you know what I mean. I didn’t watch very much of either party, but I saw enough.

Even if you don’t pay attention to party politics, you know the message. It’s all about stopping the other side, the horrible things that will happen if those people get their way. It’s all about getting our side into power.

Sisters and brothers in Christ, that is not our call. I believe there can be good done through politics, I believe the government can and should do good to protect and serve people, and I believe God works through Christians who are called to work in government. Do your homework, pay attention, pray, and vote.

But remember that as Christians, as disciples of Jesus, we view the world not through the lens of power and politics, but through the lens of the cross. What we value is different than what the world values, because we’re called to interpret everything through the cross, through the lens of the God who came and suffered for us. What good does it do to gain all the power in the world, and to lose your life?

Even many Christians fall into this trap. It’s a lot more attractive to declare ourselves the chosen people, the ones set apart by God, the holy nation of scripture; than to recognize we are set apart to be God’s hands and feet in the world.

We’re called not to take up power, but to give it up to serve the outcasts of society, the people villainized, ignored, or shamed by the world.

We are called to take up the cross. Not to take up wealth, or nationalism, or the flag, not to take up slogans, or fame, or any of the other things this world says are so important, but to take up the cross, a symbol of humiliation transformed into love. The cross is the proof God is present with us in the muck, in the unexpected places, in the deepest depths of our suffering, in all of human existence.

This kind of faith will lead to opposition. The powers of this world don’t like their values being ignored, or worse, challenged. People will get upset when our faith doesn’t stay in its lane, when Jesus doesn’t stay confined in the walls of the church building. Remember, Jesus’ message was offensive and challenging enough for his enemies to kill him. Putting the humble way of Jesus ahead of your job, your country, even your family, that’s controversial. The path of Jesus—the path we are called to follow—leads through the cross.

But don’t miss the last part of what Jesus began to show his disciples. He must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. The cross is essential, but it’s transformed. Through the cross there is life. There is freedom. There is hope. Not in the human things of this world, but in the failure of this world’s priorities.

Death isn’t the end of the story. Jesus suffers for the world, but the suffering doesn’t get the last word. The cross leads to resurrection, which means that the call to take up the cross is also a call to resurrection for us. God is at work transforming even us.

And what does that transformed life look like? What changes for us when we see the world through the lens of the cross, when our understanding of God starts with God’s suffering on the cross out of love for the world?

Look at Paul’s instructions to the Christians in Rome. Now I’ll read that lesson from Romans 12:

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, you call us to take up our cross and follow you, yet there is so much in this world that we are tempted to value more than you. By your Holy Spirit, give us faith to trust that the life you have for us is better than anything this world can offer.

Help us to use our time in this world for good, to do your work. Thank you for the cross, for your coming to dwell with us and your promise to be present with us always. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.