Communion With the Christ:: The Season of Lent: Take Up the Cross

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves

and take up their cross and follow me.” Mk: 8:34b

The Season of Lenten is situated in the Church’s Liturgical Calendar by intent, it is placed there to lead us all into the reality of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and our own sharing in Jesus’ life and death, this is the purpose of the Lenten Season, to begin to see our new life in him and our own sharing in all that is Jesus’. our Lord.

Lent is far more than a season of legalistic performance based religious self-examination, it is rather a time of fully embracing the grace of God and the reality of the risen Christ and the Season of Easter.

Our Lord Jesus spoke regarding his rejection and crucifixion at the hands of the religious establishment of the day.

“Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again He spoke plainly about this,” (31-32a)

Jesus’ Disciples are stunned by such a statement from their teacher, then Jesus is then rebuked by St. Peter who cannot foresee such an occurrence befalling Jesus.

“and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.” (32b)

Get Behind Me

Jesus immediately recognizes the spirit which gave rise to St. Peter’s misplaced rebuke. Unknown to St. Peter, is that, through his is own preoccupation of things of this world, he has become a conduit for a voice to counter the work of salvation which is about to be manifested in Jesus’ death and crucifixion and following resurrection.

“and Jesus rebuked Peter; get behind me Satan” (33a)

Jesus then reveals the very source of the St. Peter’s objection, it goes far deeper than any concern for his master’s safety, but involves his very own way of thinking regarding all things. We are told in St. Mark’s narrative is that Jesus’ response is meant not just for St. Peter alone. Jesus discerns that they all, like St. Peter, have their minds and hearts set on things other than the things of God.

“But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples then Jesus said to Peter “You do not have in mind the things of God, but merely the things of men” (33)

By looking at the other Disciples before rebuking St. Peter he is including them all in the correction, it is a way of telling the other Disciples that Jesus knows that this is not just St. Peter’s problem but one which they all have within their hearts and minds.

Jesus knew what was in their hearts by what proceeded out of their mouths.

“for out of the abundances of the heart the mouth speaks” Matt: 12:34b

“the things of men”

All of the Disciples shared the same problem as did St. Peter, they all had their minds and hearts set on “the things of men”, which are, the things which are part of this world; power, prominence, control, exaltation, riches, lands, titles, bricks and mortar, none of which are wrong of themselves, but putting them above the things of God is the problem. These are the things of men”.

Take Up the Cross

Jesus then gave his Disciples who were there present, and all his followers throughout the ages, the answer. There needs to be a transformation of the heart which is then reflected outwardly in the lives of Jesus’ Disciples.

Jesus tells us that this transformation is accomplished by setting our hearts upon “the things of God”.

Jesus calls on his Disciples to sacrifice the self. There is a difference between self-sacrifice and sacrifice-of-the-self. Self-sacrifice can be done out of selfish motives, but sacrifice-of-the-self is done out of selfless motives. To bring glory to God, to put others first, to walk humbly before our God with our hearts and minds set upon “the things of God”, this is how Jesus lived.

Jesus calls on his Disciples, any who will follow him, to embrace this way of life of setting our hearts and minds upon “the things of God”.

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (34-36)

When we “take up” the Cross we are entering into the Salivation work of Jesus, we are sharing and participating in this work, and will, like our Lord, encounter suffering from time-to-time.

There will be resistance which will be experienced from with-out and even from with-in ourselves. That is, the Cross can be, at times, heavy, but, to “take up” the Cross is not just suffering, nor is this some form of “penances” which appeases God or erring his divine approval and or forgiveness.

We are told to “take up” the way of thinking which places the “things of God” in the forefront of our hearts and minds as our personal priorities, as they were with Jesus. We are to put God first in all things.

We are to place “the things of God” above all things as St. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Christian of Colossi, who were themselves being tempted by Gnostic teaching.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”. Col: 3:2

St. Peter thought that he was placing Jesus first, but in truth, his motivation was at heart self-motivated. The Apostles still did not at that time understand what Jesus was doing. They still saw the world from a very human view point, Jesus knew that their view had to be elevated higher to the “things of God”.

As the words of the Prophet Isaiah wrote.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isa: 55:8-9

Each Our Own Cross

The Season of Lent is a time for we who are the Disciples of Jesus to consider our own hearts and minds; are they stayed and set upon the “things of God”, “the things above”? Are we each and all “taking up” our own cross, for we all have, as Jesus said “their cross”, that is, each cross is person-specific, that is we each and all have areas of our lives in which we are not placing “the things of God” first.

When we examine our own hearts, objectively, during this Season of Lent we are like St. Peter being confronted by our Lord, in light of who he is and what Jesus has accomplished for each and all of us, regarding the truth about ourselves.

We should, as St. Paul advised to the Colossi Christians.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry”. Col: 3:5

St. Paul is saying that we should put things of God first and when we do there will be a transformation in our own lives, things which we deemed as priorities will loses their power over us and our outward lives will attest this inward transformation.

The Cross of Jesus is the outward or out-working manifestation of God’s work of redemption and recapitulation over the power of the “Fall” of humanity and setting all things right, including, the thoughts of our minds and hearts, reordering them back in to a proper practical relationship with himself all through Jesus in his incarnation, life, death and glorious resurrection. This means that, the things which we once set our affections on “the things of men” can be put to death, by the power cross and be replaced by “the things of God” because of the power of the resurrection of Jesus.

Taking up Redemption

When we heed the admonishment of our Lord Jesus, and we accept his invitation to freely “take up” the our cross, then we are taking up the redemption work of salvation which Jesus has wrought for each and all of us and following him in thought, word and action. We are giving out ward expression to his inward transformational power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as our hearts and minds forsake the “things of men” and are placed upon the “things of God’.

This Season of Lent let us each and all Disciples of our Lord consider our own hearts and minds placing them fully upon our Lord Jesus and the “things of God” as we “take up” our Cross and follow Jesus.

Benediction: May we each and all as Disciples of Jesus ever set our hearts and minds upon the things of God, today, tomorrow and forever more. Amen.