Matthew 16:21-28
On Following Jesus, the Way of the Cross
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, chief priests and 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 things of God, but the things of men."
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
Following Jesus' teachings is found difficult and many will not follow Jesus' Ways because they are so difficult...Following Jesus means that you are a servant wanting to help others including your enemies...You are less concerned with themselves and you must deny yourself to take up the cross...For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus will find Life...What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?...Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?...Following Jesus is hard and tough...
Being a follower of Jesus and take up His cross, we will find only a small gate that leads to a narrow road...On the road there are hardships, difficulties, sufferings, and a tension packed path in life...But the road is like no other, and is the proper, correct, and right road to follow...This is because one is following Jesus' Ways...Following Jesus means you are a servant following His Ways and are serving and helping others...
Martin Luther King said, “Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear...To be a Christian one must take up his cross, with all its difficulties and agonizing and tension-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its mark upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way which comes only through suffering.”...