Mark Twain worried, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is parts that I do understand.” This is true for most of us.
Jesus describes what the Son of Man must endure by the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes. Their modern-day counterparts are lay leaders, tall-steeple preachers and biblical scholars. Jesus predicts his rejection, suffering and death at their hands.
Peter rebukes Jesus who puts him in his place, accusing him of setting his mind not on divine things, but on human things. Jesus then continues to teach the crowd, including us. To be his followers, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. Those who save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for the sake of the gospel as initiated by Jesus will save it.
The only way to be made whole is to let go of everything society considers most valuable. There is no benefit gaining the entire world as defined by society if one forfeits one’s deepest soul. The Twelve do not want to hear this, and neither do we. After all, Christian faith is not a lifestyle choice; it is a vocation of never-ending struggle.
Loving God, make serving you our vocation. Amen. — LD