Perhaps this is the part of me that Jesus is lashing out at here. Jesus judges the part of me that judges myself as well as him. I’m getting a sense of his closeness now. He finds me in the lowest valleys imaginable. In Jesus, God doesn’t cast me into a life where I always need to be progressing. Maybe in his dying, he’ll be right there with me in my own ego death (and my eventual bodily death as well). Wait a minute… Maybe this voice in my head – this egoic narrative that is causing so much strife – is the part of me that Jesus is telling me to lose. And Jesus wants to drag me down even further by making me lose my life. I’ve realized that I’m not in a whole lot better place than when I started (doggone it, people don’t really like me!). All the work I’ve put in, it seems, is for naught. That’s what he said, right there in the last line of this passage – “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” It’s like we can’t win for losing – we can’t even win for winning – with him! Clearly, I’m ashamed of Jesus for not leveling up my life. Step 3: Eternal Problem – Can’t win for winning And if you’re not going to drive this thing to the promised land, well, give me the wheel, Jesus. I thought that if I could meet Jesus halfway, he’d deliver. Why am I following you? Life is short, and if you’re not going to help me take the trajectory of my life up and to the right, Jesus, well… Tony Robbins sounds a heck of a lot more effective than this program you have going on here. I need some wins on this losing scorecard of life, Jesus. Step 2: Internal Problem – Give me the wheel, Jesus! Why not?! Is this the so-called ‘good life’ that Jesus is calling me to? It sounds like nothing but more heartbreak and sorrow. Upon further examination, I’m a bore to be with, and not many people seem to like me a whole lot. To lose my life and see that I’m not actually good or smart enough. And doggone it… People like me!” But during Lent – I’m called to name and confess my Sin. To conjure my inner Stuart Smalley, I’ll quote from the classic Al Franken SNL character, “I deserve good things. Hang on a red hot second here… I thought that being a Jesus follower would make my life… Better. Step 1: External Problem – Doggone it, people like me! It’s a journey you might be familiar with and I hope it gives you a good Word to preach on. In Christ’s dying, he’ll be right there with me in my own ego death (and my eventual bodily death as well)Īuthor’s introduction: This piece is written as an internal dialogue bouncing around in the head of a well-meaning Christian (poor soul) who encounters the weight of the cross in this passage and then – alleluia (oh, sorry, it’s Lent!) – becoming encountered and freed by the Gospel of Jesus. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”ģ4He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again.
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