St. Matt. 16:21-28
September 3, 2017
Proper 17A
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus~
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” There you have it. The theme of the day: Cross-bearing and Self-denial. Well, this is going to be a tough sell. We don’t naturally want to go down the road of
And we are the living proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Self-denial isn’t just a tough sell; it’s a foreign concept to most Americans today. Self-denial? You must be joking. Our entire culture revolves around self-indulgence, self-absorption, self-gratification, self-glorification, not to mention selfies and selfie sticks. Narcissism is the name of the game.
But Jesus says, “Deny yourself. Take up your cross.” What Jesus says in this text is a major inconvenience to our aspirations of grandeur. So, naturally, we look for a way around what Jesus says in this text. Maybe all this talk about crosses and self-denial is only figurative or metaphorical or spiritual. Maybe Jesus is just exaggerating; He did that once in a while, you know. Maybe Jesus just has in mind Sunday mornings. You know? Carry on business as usual Monday through Saturday; but just deny yourself a little sleep on Sunday morning, show up for this sweet hour of prayer, then suffer through longs lines at the all-you-can-eat brunch buffet, and call it good. Self-denied; cross carried; boom! If you think that’s what Jesus means then ask yourself this: Where would we be if Jesus Himself had only taken up a figurative cross—a metaphorical cross—or a spiritual cross—instead of a real, wooden cross with nails? We wouldn’t be here—that’s for sure.
Today’s Holy Gospel is a turning point in Matthew. It records the moment when Jesus begins to make His decisive turn toward Jerusalem—and Calvary. Up to this point in our Lord’s earthly ministry, it’s been kind of fun to follow along—watching Him slap those demons around, healing scores of sick people, feeding thousands, stilling storms, walking on water, running circles around the scribes and Pharisees. Who wouldn’t want to follow Jesus? The crowds flocked to Jesus, and we would have been right there with them.
But no sooner had Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God—than Jesus began to take a different tone. From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and rise again. From that time, Jesus explicitly began to tell them just what it meant that He was the Christ—the Son of God in human flesh. In a word: the cross.
Peter objected—immediately, forcefully, predictably. God forbid it, Lord. This shall never happen to you! Oh, Peter. There but for the grace of God go I . . . and you. One minute Peter could confess the divinely revealed truth about Jesus, and in the very next breath try to derail His death and resurrection. One minute Jesus could commend Peter, saying, “Blessed are you, Simon.” But in the next minute Jesus would rebuke Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan. You are a hindrance to me. You have in mind the things of man.” One minute Peter spoke divine truth. The next minute he was a spokesman for Satan. And Peter had no idea which was which.
Peter had no idea; and neither do we. So sneaky and slippery is our sinful nature that one minute we’re holding fast to what is good, but the next minute we’ve indulged ourselves in evil. One minute we’re generously donating to help anonymous hurricane victims, but the next minute we’re doing our best sloth impersonations when we ought to be serving and helping the members of our own family. With our lips we say, “I forgive you,” while in our hearts we plot and plan our carefully crafted vengeance. We’re jealous of those who rejoice and make a wide detour around those who weep. It’s a crying shame. With our tongues we bless . . . and we curse; we proclaim the truth . . . and we whisper demonic lies. And, most of the time, we don’t know which is which.
This is why the Christ and the cross go together. This is why Jesus said it was necessary—why Jesus said that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed and on the third day be raised. It wasn’t optional—not if our sin and death were to be definitively dealt with, once and for all. The cross was critical and crucial. The cross would be how God’s self-denying, self-giving, self-sacrificing love would be shown to the whole world.
This is why Satan tried to subvert the cross. The cross is the one thing the devil really fears. The cross is the devil’s downfall. The devil knew that the sacrifice of Jesus’ perfect human life on the cross would satisfy the demands of the Law. He knew that the death of the Son of God would cover the world’s sin completely—that sinners like us would be able to stand before God forgiven, righteous, and holy because Jesus would die and rise as our sacred, sin-bearing substitute. The devil knew that his accusations would be silenced, that sin would be atoned for, that death would be defeated, that his domain would be vanquished.
The Christ and the cross go together. This is why our Jewish neighbors are particularly offended by the cross. It’s why our Muslim neighbors are particularly offended by the cross. This is why, still today, the devil wants to distance you from the cross of Christ. He couldn’t stop Jesus, but maybe he can mess with you a little bit—get you to think that you have to earn your forgiveness—get you to think that your baptism means very little for your messed-up life—cleverly convince you that the Lord’s Supper is nothing more than a sentimental, symbolic reminder of what Jesus did on a hill far away. He’d love to get your eyes off of this crucifix so that you can focus more clearly on your own needs and narcissism.
Separating yourself from the cross is the first step toward gaining the whole world—and losing your own life. That’s dumb. Yet people do it all the time. If you’re doing it right now, stop. Repent! Set your mind on the things of God instead. Deny yourself as you do the work of your vocations with diligence and determination. Follow Jesus right here to where He shares the benefits and blessings of His holy cross with all who gather in faith around His blessed Word and His Holy Supper.
Jesus asked, “What shall a man give in exchange for his life?” The answer is nothing. You have nothing to give. We are all beggars. But here’s the glory of the cross: Jesus gave His life in exchange for your life. In fact, He gave His life in exchange for the life of the world. One holy, perfect, sinless, spotless life—for you, in your place. You are died for. You are loved.
Keep that in mind when the crosses you bear are heavy and painful. Keep that in mind when persecution comes your way. With the eyes of faith we can see right past our present sufferings to the resurrection glory that far outweighs them all. With faith in Jesus you literally have nothing to lose—nothing except your sin, your guilt, and your shame. That’s the way of the cross—the way on which Jesus invites you, simply saying, “Follow me.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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