The Way of the Cross
The Path to the Kingdom is the Way of the Cross
Matthew 16:21-28
Rev. Tim Callow
Preached Sun. August 30th, 2020
Today’s gospel reading is full of difficulty, obscurity, and mystery. We have Jesus commanding us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. We have Jesus saying that those who want to save their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for Christ’s sake will find it. And then we have Jesus saying that there are people in his audience who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom. This really is a triple header. It’s enough to make your brain whirl. So please bear with me. What on earth is Jesus on about? None of this makes sense if we have our mind on human things, like Peter. Perhaps if we set our mind on divine things we can make sense of Jesus’ difficult words.
Last Sunday Jesus blessed Peter. "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” Peter could not have known that Jesus is the Christ unless it had been revealed to him from heaven. But now, this morning, Jesus rebukes Peter in strong terms, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me.” What happened? Peter knew that Jesus is King, but he did not know what divine Kingship entails. He knew Jesus is the Christ, but he did not know how divine power is exercised.
We are told Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and die at the hands of the chief priests and elders, but he would be raised on the third day. The Christ? Dying? This was scandalous to Peter. The Christ was a great warrior, a powerful King. He would drive the Romans back to their country, all the gentiles would swarm to Jerusalem to learn how to live righteously. The Christ was not supposed to die, and at the hands of his priests no less. That is why Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes him. "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But Jesus calls him Satan. Calls him a stumbling block. What is it that Peter missed?
The temptation Peter presents is similar to Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. In both cases Jesus is tempted, in both cases we are told Satan is involved. Both cases has to do with power and with Jesus’ life. What happens in the wilderness? Jesus is given three temptations. The first is to turn stones to bread. The second is to throw himself off the temple so the angels can save him. The third is to worship Satan and receive all the kingdoms of the world. What are these temptations? It is the temptation to end hunger, by turning stones to bread. It is the temptation to avoid death by testing the angels to come save him. And it is the temptation to bring world peace and forever end war by receiving all the kingdoms of the earth. End of hunger, no death, no war, seems like a good deal, right? But Jesus rejects it all. Scandalously Jesus will not end hunger, defeat death, and bring world peace the devil’s way. He will do it his way.
What does Jesus’ way look like? We see Jesus feed the hungry in the account of the loaves and fishes. He blesses the loaves, he blesses the fish, and they multiply to feed the multitude. We see Jesus defeat death in his many healings and in his resurrection. And then we see Jesus receive all the Kingdoms of the world on his Cross. Jesus’ way looks like joyful worship, humble service, and self-sacrifice.
Now we can see why Jesus says, “there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Many people have puzzled over this line. Surely no one with Jesus had lived to the end of the world. Surely none of them had seen the Kingdom come in its fulness. But they did live to see Jesus receive a royal robe. They did live to see Jesus receive a crown. Of thorns. They did live to see Jesus be given a royal throne. The Cross. And on that Cross was written in three languages “This is Jesus, King of the Jews.” Truly, as Jesus told the Jewish council, “From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” And what happens immediately after? But Jesus is beaten and the soldiers call him Christ “Prophesy to us Christ, who struck you?” Matthew makes it clear. Jesus’ Kingship is not of this world. Jesus’ Kingship is found in service and self-sacrifice and holy worship. Jesus’ Kingship is exemplified on his cross where he is revealed to the world as the King he is. Though, shrouded in irony.
In two thousand years of Christian history the gospel teaching of the cross and the Kingdom hasn’t gotten any easier. In two thousand years of Christian history we haven’t gotten beyond the temptation that Peter here represents. The temptation Satan represented in the wilderness. That is, the temptation to have the glory of God without the cross. Or to think of the power of God in human terms. To, in Jesus’ words, set our minds not on divine things but on human things. It remains scandalous for us to think the Christ has to suffer and die, and that salvation comes by way of the cross. It remains scandalous to think that we are called to humble ourselves. That, if we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ we need to deny ourselves and take up our cross.
But that is what Jesus will not let us avoid this morning. No, he insists that he must go to Jerusalem. He must suffer. He must die. That we may be saved. And if we want to be his disciples we too have to get with the program. We may have ideas on how to make the world a better place, ideas that have to do with us having the power over others. But Jesus redeems the world through his cross. So we too must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. But we are promised that when we do so, we will receive life. That’s why Jesus says, “those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Life is reserved for those who carry their crosses. In the way of the cross is peace and joy, because we follow the path Jesus, life himself, has set. And how wonderful that is because not everyone can have honors, wealth, beauty, and strength. But the way of the cross is opened to all. The grace of God is offered to all.
So what does this all mean? How do we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him?
We deny ourselves through humility. Peter could not bear to be the disciple of the crucified, he was too proud for that. That’s why he rebukes Jesus. But we must not be too proud to be disciples of the crucified. Let us humble ourselves in prayer, in the reading of scripture, and in fasting.
We take up our cross when we lead lives of service. Jesus gave himself up for our sake on the cross. If we are disciples we can’t say we are any better than Jesus. We too must give ourselves up for others. Whether it be in volunteering our time, or whether it be in giving to those who ask. I remember when I was in high school we spent a class on Mother Theresa. I went to a Catholic high school. And we were told how she had given everything away that she might take on poverty and serve the people of Calcutta. And at the time, in my youthful arrogance, I thought this was a huge mistake. She could have used that money to do greater things! She could have been a better steward and invested it! But Mother Theresa followed the way of the cross. The way of self-sacrifice, by giving up of her self. Not to lord herself over those she served, not to better them the way she thought they ought to be bettered. But to join them in their suffering. That is how Jesus serves us. That is how we are called to serve.
Finally, we must follow him. By following him we know how to deny ourselves and not be self-righteous about it. How to walk the way of the cross and not be domineering about it. But to do these things in imitation of Jesus. Who shows us the path of life. Who set the way before us. Our brother, our savior, our Lord.