Stay Dusty My Friends

Part 2 of "Broken for Us"--Second Sunday of Lent

The BIG Idea:

Lent is a time for us to offer our suffering to Jesus and to know Him better through prayer and Scripture. Even when this temporary life hurts, the new life that God offers through Jesus is stronger! A committed disciple of Jesus longs to be as close to Jesus as possible as they pursue Scriptural holiness in the faith journey.

³¹ And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ³³ But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said,  Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's. ³⁴ And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them,  If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. ³⁵ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:31-38 (NASB)

Jesus contrasts two ways of thinking, or two ways of existence. These two ways are the "things of humankind" and the "things of God".

Jesus names Satan as the source of the things of humankind, there is the imagery of a cosmic struggle that intersects with human choices, or free will.

What does the phrase used by Jesus "take up your cross mean"?

"Take up your cross means" suffering for the sake of Jesus.

*Learn more about modern persecution of Christians at www.persecution.com.*

What happens if we would rather have the things of this world?

The one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, to walk just as He (Jesus) walked. I John 2:6 (NASB)

And He said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people. Matthew 4:19 (NASB)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples,  If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.²⁶ For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26 (NASB)

Being willing to sacrifice for the sake of others is a hallmark of the Christian faith.

A "disciple", or "TALMID", is someone with intense, intentional commitment to becoming more and more like Jesus every day.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NASB)

Find a rabbi and follow him. Walk with him. Drink in his words like you're thirsty, and always be covered with the dust of his feet. Ancient Jewish Rabbinic motto

Christ promises that His forgiveness and new life outweigh the suffering.

Knowing His life is more important than knowing our own.

 

Questions for Reflection:

What does the phrase used by Jesus "take up your cross" mean?

What are the two ways of existence Jesus contrasts in His teaching of Mark chapter 8?

What happens if we would rather have the things of this world?

What is a disciple, or "TALMID"?

What does Christ promise His forgiveness and new life for us outweigh?

Why is it so important to know the life of Jesus more than we know our own?