“The Son of Man must suffer

and be rejected

and be killed…”

Luke 9:22

December 2, 2017

These are mostly words that I wrote last week (some before that), but they speak back to my heart this morning as I continue to wrestle with things I don’t understand.

These words are familiar to us, but to those who walked the earth alongside Jesus, it was the very first time these horrifying, completely unacceptable words had been spoken. Not only that, but Jesus had just acknowledged his identity as the promised Jewish messiah – the one who would bring freedom, and establish his kingdom of peace. Jesus was the one for whom they had left everything behind. Now he speaks words like this? Unacceptable! Totally Wrong! This is not how things are supposed to be!

And as those words of what “must happen” hung in the air, in all of their icy wrongness, Jesus continued speaking about “musts”. . .

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

There were things that Jesus “must” do, and there were/are things that any of his would-be followers “must” do.

Do you still want to follow? Through the horror, through the confusion, through the pain, weariness, and perceived “wrongness”?

There were many who would follow him when food was being multiplied, healings were abundant, and crowds were welcoming. This was easy, cheap faith. A true disciple keeps following when there are no miracles, life is not only hard, but when God himself doesn’t make sense at all.

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” Luke 9:24

We have to let go of ourselves, if we are going to “take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us” Philippians 3:12