Victory in Loss
Victory in Loss
Sounds a bit counter intuitive doesn't it? Victory in loss? In a world where it seems to be all about ever increasing amounts of more, the whole idea of winning by losing doesn't quite resonate with us like it might. Which may be why we sometimes don't quite get it.
We, too often, expect the people we look up to to be those who win. It's easy to identify with obvious victory, making it to the top, receiving the recognition, etc. "Success" must be what we are made for? Right?
But what if "success" is not what we think it is? What if it is measured differently than we typically tend to? What if what is going on in us, forming us, is more valuable that what is going on outside us, and how others measure it? Is it possible to mis-measure success - or even to discover that we are not even using the right measuring stick?
That is what Pastor Jon explores with us this morning as we reflect together on the passage to the right, and the Lord's Supper that we celebrate together. It is the celebration of what appeared to be a huge loss, but which, in the ways that ultimately matter, an amazing victory.
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Matthew 16
NIV
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Manis going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”