For those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are four Scripture readings before the Message. Today's readings are Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105; Romans 12:9-21 and Matthew 16:21-28
The story is told ... that a man living out on the edge of town ... heard a commotion in his back yard.
He investigated and discovered ... there was a very hostile gorilla up in his tree.
He immediately called 911, and it wasn't long until an animal control officer was on the scene ... with a big ferocious dog, ... a pair of handcuffs, ...and a shotgun.
Turning to the homeowner the officer said, ... "Here's what we have to do.
I will climb up the tree and shake it as hard as I can.
When the gorilla falls out, ... the dog will leap upon him ...and with his powerful jaws ... clamp down on the gorilla's neck ... paralyze him.
While he's paralyzed, ... you put the handcuffs on the gorilla ... and we'll have him."
"Okay," the man said.
So, the officer started climbing the tree.
Suddenly the man hollered, ... "Wait a minute.
You forgot to tell me what the shotgun is for."
"Well," the officer said ... "when I start shaking the tree, ... if I fall out instead of the gorilla, ... you shoot the dog."
Well ... What I'm going to do this morning ... is to try to shake ... some trees.
To hopefully look at our text in Mathew ... from a different perspective.
Hear again God's Word: ... BIBLE "...... Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let them deny themselves ......and take up their cross and follow me...... For whoever would save their life will lose it, ......but whoever loses their life for my sake...... will find it.'" END (Mathew 16:24-25)
Beloved ... These verses ... can often make your head spin.
Upon first glance ... they do not seem ...too difficult ... to understand.
Yet ... the longer you hang around them, ... the dizzier you will get ... and the more ......they start to play tricks ... on you.
Deny yourselves.
Take up your cross.
Those who want to save their life ...will lose it.
Those who lose their life ... for my sake ... will find it.
So... If I am selfish with my life, ... I will lose my life.
But if I am generous ... and give up my life, ... I will gain it.
Therefore, ... I will be generous with my life, ...... ......Because I know ... that I want ... to gain it.
But...wait.
Then am I simply being generous ... for my own gain?
Am I simply being generous ... to save my own neck?
It can be indeed ... a dizzying text. (Long Pause)
And Sadly ... most people ... interpret this text... in ... one of two ways.
(1 Finger) Some hear it ... as a call ... to live a meager life.
Denying themselves of joy ... denying themselves ... of an abundant ... and full ... life.
It is an attempt to delay joy ... And to delay gratification ... until ... they reach heaven.
They are convinced ... that the more I deny myself of life's comforts here and now, ... the greater my reward will be ... in heaven.
In essence ... the old adage ... No pain, no gain.
(2 Fingers) On the other hand ... Others hear this text ... as a justification ...or a reason...... for the suffering that has already burrowed ... into their own life.
They may say when faced with suffering ... "This must be ... my cross to bear,".
It paints a picture ... of a drill sergeant God.
A God ......who is in the business ...of giving you more and more obstacles.
Giving you ... more and more struggles in your life ... to see ... how long ...you can ... endure them.
I am convinced ... that because of these interpretations ... many have endured hardships... for years ... that they should never... have endured.
Terrified each day, ... they endure ... they hang on... believing it is a cross.
A cross ... that God has called them ... to bear.
So, ... they just grin and bear it.
Trying to trust in a God ...who can seem ...so cruel. (Long Pause)
Yet... what if ... what if ... there is another way... of hearing ... this text?
It seems to me ... that our Gospel reading ...is not about a call ... to a life of ... suffering.
It's not about denying one's self ... the pleasures in life ... in order to receive ... a future joy ... in heaven.
And It's not about a God ... who is simply playing a game ...with us.
I believe ... that this text ... is not addressing the reason ... for our suffering.
It is not about a God ......that deliberately hurts us ...by giving us ......different crosses ... to bear.
It is not about a God ... who is asking us to carry them ... in order to show our level of commitment ...and the endurance ... of our faith.
We serve a loving God. Remember our Lords words: BIBLE "... which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11) END
We live in a fallen world ... It is the world, the flesh and the Devil that strive to hurt us.
And it is our heavenly father ...who takes all things.
The good, ... the bad ... and the ugly ... and works them together for good.
And what is that good ... that we may be transformed into the image of his son.
That we are conformed into the image of Jesus.
Beloved..., what if our text in Matthew about denying one's self and taken up their cross...
(Slow) What if this text is about us ...... not ... being afraid.
Not being afraid of evil ... not being afraid of death.
About not fearing ... the suffering places in our lives ...... that can often feel ... so much ... like death.
For Beloved ... the moment we start to fear death..., it will not be long ......before we start ...to fear ... life.
And I believe ...this was the case ...for Peter.
Just before our Gospel reading in Matthew ... Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"
Peter is the one ...who steps forward and says, "You are the Messiah, ... The Christ ... the son of the living God."
Jesus affirms Peter by saying, "Yes, ...blessed are you ... Simon Bar-Jonah." For flesh and blood has not reviled this to you but my father in heaven. (Matthew 16:17)
Yet shortly thereafter Jesus shares these words in our text:
Again, ... Hear God's Word: BIBLE"...... Jesus began to show his disciples ... that he must go to Jerusalem ... and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, ... and be killed, ... and on the third day be raised. ...... And Peter took him aside ... and began to rebuke him, saying, ... "Far be it from you, Lord! ... This shall never happen to you." ... But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! ... You are a hindrance to me. ... For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, ... but on the things of man." END
In Peter's mind, ... and in the mind of many ...the Messiah ......is one who comes ... in strength and power.
One who will defeat ... the evil powers ... of the world.
And as a follower of Jesus, ... Peter expects ...to be part... of such A glorious ... battle.
So, ... when Jesus begins to share with his disciples ......that he must go to Jerusalem.
That he must undergo great suffering and death... it is no wonder ...that Peter cries out,
"God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."
Suffering and death ... were not the future Peter envisioned for Messiah, ...and these events were not the future... he envisioned ...for ... himself.
If Jesus must go to Jerusalem ... and face suffering and death, ...doesn't that mean that Peter ... As one of his disciples ... must go ... and experience ...the same?
Peter surely was afraid for Jesus' life, ... but he was most likely afraid also ......for his... own life.
Hear me on this:
The moment we start to fear death, ... it will not long ... before we begin ... to fear ... life. REPEAT
Beloved ... We must not fear death ... we must not fear the evil in this world.
Death is our enemy ... but Praise God ... Jesus has conquered death.
We are sons and daughters ... Of the king of kings... and the Lord of Lords. (1 Timothy 6:15)
Greater is he that is in me... Then he that is in the world. Amen! (Long Pause) (1 John 4:4)
A mother... who was so focused on protecting her own children from any danger in the world ... kept them home-schooled ... which was fine ... but in addition ... she never let them outside ... of their home.
As a result, ... they had no concept of building relationships ... no concept of friends ... or how to make them.
She had convinced them ... that the world was an evil place ... and that ......they must fear it.
She did this because she thought ... She believed... That this ... would protect her children.
Yet, ... in the end ... each of them needed much counseling, ... she had suffocating ... the life out of them.
Obviously, ... this was an extreme case.
Yet ... be warned ... The moment you start to fear evil... To fear death, ... it will not long ... before you will also ... fear ... life.
Beloved...... Jesus wants us ... to have life ... and to have it abundantly.
To be filled to overflowing with Joy.
Jesus places before us... life.
A New Life ... An abundant life. (Pause)
Now ... did you notice ... that Jesus is in search of life ... in our Gospel text?
I did not see it at first ......either.
Listen to the text once again... BIBLE "...... Jesus began to show his disciples ... that he must go to Jerusalem ... and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, ... and be killed, ... and on the third day ... be raised. END (Matthew 16:21)
And on the third day what? ... (Open Hands) be raised.
Resurrection ... Jesus ... was to go to Jerusalem ...to be raised.
Jesus is not going to Jerusalem ... in search of death.
Beloved... he is going to Jerusalem ... in search of life.
And a new life for his followers:
A New life.
An Abundant life.
A Resurrected life.
Jesus asks us ... actually he commands us ... to take up our cross ... and following him.
Follow him where ... not to death ... but to life ... a resurrected life.
This text is about ... not fearing death ... and about not fearing those suffering moments in life ...that yes at times ... can feel ... like death.
In life there will be ... pain.
In life there will be ... suffering.
It is part of ... the human experience.
Jesus tells his followers, ... to take up their crosses and follow him ... follow him ... into a resurrected life.
And Beloved he is asking you and I ...to do the same.
Not because He wants to give us ... pain and suffering.
May it never be.
He already knows ... we have pain ... and suffering.
For ... Jesus is fully God ... and he is fully human.
He has experienced ... Pain ... and he has experienced ... suffering.
Pain and Suffering ......are a part of the human experience ... on this side of eternity.
They are part of the world.
And Beloved......God loves the world.
So ... we take up our crosses ... because there are crosses to be taken up ......what else is there to do?
The only other option ... is to deny ... that there are any crosses ... in this world.
Which will lead us into denial ... and to a fear ... of death, ...... and thus to a fear ... of life.
To take up one's cross ... is to embrace both the pain and suffering of the world ... and to embrace the hope ... of discovering life ... a resurrected life ...within it all.
A full life ... is not one that is absent of suffering, ...but one that faces suffering ......with the courage to search ... for life, ......within it.
Jesus calls us to seek ...and bring forth life ...in the midst of evil ... In the midst of death.
The path to walk... is ours ...to choose.
But remember, ...if you try to save ... your own life ...you will lose it.
Beloved ... take up the crosses in your life ...whatever they may be...
Why?
Well ...because we all have crosses ...in our lives.
And as you carry your cross, ......you just might find a person ... who has a cross like yours.
Who has found a way to carry it ...that makes it ......a little less painful.
A full life... is not one that is absent... of suffering,
But one that faces suffering ......with the courage to search for life, ......a resurrected life, ...in the midst of it all.
Beloved... Chose life. Choose an abundant.
Choose ... a resurrected life.
Choose a life ... filled with joy
Jesus tells us to take up our cross and to follow him, ... and we the family at Saint Luke's ... we will go through this together.
Together ... in the light ... of the resurrection
And all God's people said ... Amen!
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal donation: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings in Christ. Jeff
