Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." (Matt. 16:24-25)
Many of us are much more committed to following things other than Jesus. School is back in session and parents are following their children from activity to activity to activity to activity to activity, to...well you get the point. Lately we have followed the Olympics and millions of us are following the presidential race very closely. Football season is starting, baseball season is moving quickly toward the playoffs and we’re following our favorite teams. Some of us are just blindly following the crowd.
I watched the Olympics and celebrated the victories every night. From beginning to end I was mesmerized and impressed by the incredible, wonderful spectacle and performances. Did you see those opening ceremonies? I have never seen anything like it in my life. I was truly in awe of everything from the technology to the choreography to the sheer mass of humanity that it took to pull it off...and at the same time saddened and appalled by the incredible expenditure of financial and human resources. I couldn't help but wonder...with those resources: How many hungry could have been fed? How many thirsty could have been given water? How many lost could have been found? How many educations could have been funded?
This past week I watched the Democratic National Convention and became part of the largest audience in history to ever witness an acceptance speech. There was a moment after Obama's speech; 80,000 people stood (millions more joined them by TV) and they worshiped him. I will watch the Republican National Convention and witness many of the same things. I will see men and women who love their country, are devoted to their country, and would probably die for their country. I will see banners waved…flags flown…songs sung…confetti dropped…allegiances sworn.
And I will be asking myself, at the end, the same questions. When will we swear our allegiance to Christ like that? Will we ever, in mass, celebrate Jesus like that? When will we follow Christ in that way? When will the church become one and pour itself into doing what the Olympics and the politicians will never be able to do - as hard as they try - because it’s our job to change the world, we have been given that mission!
We Christians want salvation without sacrifice. We want to wear the cross on a chain around our neck or look at it hanging on the wall. But, we don't want to feel the weight of it on our backs as it digs into our shredded flesh and, as a result, our Christianity becomes weak and pathetic.
Deny self? Take up my cross? Lose my life in order to find my life? Hmmm......do we have any idea what any of that even means?
3 comments:
another great post! :) I'm going to call Weston and tell him to read it. (if he hasn't already!)
Well done observations on our "faith" in the things that do not sustain us, but rather draws our attention away from the One who does.
Well, this will, as they say, PREACH.
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