Get Behind Jesus

 

Based on Matthew 16:21-28

            What would happen if someone tried to teach you calculus in the first grade? How would you do if someone handed you a piece of writing in Tagalog and asked you to translate it into English? My hunch is that in both of these situations you and I would not get very far. It takes years of study to get to where a person can do calculus. You have to learn the language before you can translate it into another. We can’t just do these things from the start. We have to start with the basics and build up our knowledge and capacity before we can take on the challenge of working calculus problems or translating Tagalog into English.

            Being a follower of Jesus is sort of like this. You have to start at the beginning, with the basics, and move on from there. We see this development with the disciples in the gospel of Matthew. Their process began when Jesus invited them to leave behind what they were doing and to follow him. That’s a pretty big ask to start off. But these disciples are willing to do that, to leave behind their fishing nets and go wherever Jesus was going. And as they walk with Jesus over the course of two or three years they watch as he performs miracles and heals people. They listen as he teaches the crowds with parables. The disciples get time alone with Jesus where he instructs them privately. Then Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs to do what he was doing, giving them the authority to heal, cast out demons, and to proclaim the coming kingdom of God. And they are successful in their efforts. They witness the feeding of the 5,000. They watch Jesus walk on water. The evidence is overwhelming to the disciples that Jesus is the messiah, the son of the living God, which Peter proclaims when Jesus asks who they think he is. For saying that, Jesus says that the church will be built on Peter’s confession. Everything is coming together. The movement is taking shape. The disciples understand that they are going to have leadership and responsibility as Jesus the messiah establishes his reign. Step by step, these disciples have moved from basic arithmetic to calculus. They are hitting their stride. They had to be feeling good about themselves and thrilled about their fate as the ones Jesus had chosen to be his associates in the emergence of the restored kingdom.

            And then, after all of this, Jesus tells them that he will suffer, be crucified, and then rise on the third day. Not only that, the disciples will have to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. They are being asked to lose their life for his sake so that they can keep it for eternal life. Jesus is calling them to an even deeper level of commitment. He is calling them to go all the way in. Everything they had experienced up to that point was preparation to go to the next level of discipleship.

            None of us are surprised that Peter stepped forward and opened his mouth. His response is understandable. “God forbid that such should happen to you!” They thought they were getting set up to take the world by storm, with Jesus as the leader. The kingdom of heaven was set to be established, they thought. King Jesus was about to set up his throne and Peter and the disciples were preparing themselves to be a part of Jesus’ court. And now Jesus is talking about suffering and dying? I’m not sure Peter even heard that part about being raised on the third day. What Jesus said threw a kink in what Peter and the rest thought everything was supposed to go. It made no sense to Peter that the messiah, the son of God, would suffer under the hand of the religious leaders and be crucified like a common criminal. No, that’s not how this is supposed to happen. Peter had it all figured out. But he still didn’t get the whole picture. Peter and the disciples had to go to another level.

            If Jesus had told his disciples from the very beginning that he was going to suffer, be crucified and then rise again on the third day, without first letting them watch him perform miracles, listen to his teachings, be empowered by him to do ministry, they wouldn’t have followed him. The disciples first had to come to belief, they had to know with firm conviction that Jesus was the messiah, the son of the living God. Only then, when they reached that level of commitment, could Jesus then tell them the hard truth of his coming suffering and crucifixion. They needed that foundation first and had to demonstrate their commitment before learning the hard stuff.

            Discipleship ought to be more challenging and demanding the longer we follow Jesus. It’s not enough to just stick with “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” More is asked of us. It is a healthy relationship with the Lord when we find ourselves being prodded to take a stand or risk ourselves beyond what we can handle and find ourselves saying to God, “God forbid it, Lord, surely not I!”

            Maybe what I just said is too strong. I have heard stories from many people, of how God was calling them to go deeper in their discipleship, to step out in faith. Usually the call was around giving up a career to enter into ordained ministry or to become a missionary. But that nudge doesn’t have to be that extreme. Everyone’s relationship with Jesus is different. As I think back over my life, I don’t remember ever finding myself saying “God forbid it.” Instead, I have said to myself, “Am I really cut out for this? Do I have what it takes?” There have been times in my ministry where I have found myself stepping into something with butterflies in my stomach or uncertain about what I am supposed to be doing. But it has also happened more than I care to admit, when I felt a nudge to respond to someone in need or care for a particular situation and I said to myself, “I’m too busy, it’s more than I’m willing to give, I just don’t wanna’.”

            To grow and mature in our discipleship does require sacrifice. To put Jesus at the center instead of your own desires takes commitment. And it’s easy for Jesus to slip out of the center. All kinds of people want the center of our attention, don’t they? And if we are honest, we often put ourselves in the center of our life. My experience has been that who or what is controlling the center of my life is constantly shifting. Again and again we have to choose to put Jesus at the center of our life, choose to live for Jesus instead of for ourselves, or even to live for others. It’s not easy. It is something we have to consciously choose again and again.

            And I can tell from experience that some of the most meaningful experiences I have had in my life were times when I did not put myself first. When I have responded to the needs of others, when I have felt that nudge from God to give of myself for others, it has been those times that I have been blessed, that I feel like I am living life to the fullest, a life with meaning, with purpose, that makes a difference. I am convinced that we experience what life is all about when the focus of our life is on following Jesus and not ourselves, responding to the promptings of God’s spirit, offering ourselves to be used of God to bless others. We don’t have control over what God may prompt us to do. We won’t always get it right. We won’t always know what we are getting ourselves in to when we put Jesus at the center. But if we want to identify ourselves as followers of Jesus, then we have to follow. When Peter pulled Jesus aside and said what he said, he did not have divine purpose in his mind. He was focused on how he thought things were supposed to go, anticipating what his role would be. He had mapped out in his mind how things were supposed to go and he was driven to pull Jesus aside to get him back on board. The follower was trying to lead the leader. So, Jesus told Peter to get behind him. He reminded Peter that Jesus is the one who leads. We have to let Jesus take the lead, especially when we are not sure about where we are heading or what is the plan. We are in a time where we need Jesus to lead so we can follow, as we move together into the future. The promise is that by letting Jesus lead, we will live the life that God intends for us to live. Jesus will lead us into life that is abundant and everlasting. Let us commit again to get ourselves behind Jesus.