Scripture
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross and follow me.”

Observation
Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” They tell him of the reports they have heard, and then Jesus asks, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter replies “You are the Messiah.”

Jesus then starts telling them what kind of Messiah he is- that he must suffer and die, but he will rise again. Peter reprimands him for this but Jesus replies, “Get away from me Satan!”

Jesus tells the crowd that to follow him they must each take up their cross and give up their life for him.

Application
The gospel is a messy business and it does not line up with all of our religious ideas.

We welcome Jesus as the Messiah. That sounds like Good News to us.

We are less likely to want to think of the price of salvation on God's part- the awful suffering, humiliation and destruction of the cross. This offends our desire for a triumphant victorious Messiah.

But the third idea in this short passage is the the toughest of the lot. To be a follower of Jesus means dying to everything I hold dear. I have to give up ownership of my life and hand it all over to Jesus.

That is a life-long process, a lesson in which I learn to entrust myself entirely to the Christ who gave Himself for me.

Prayer
Father I confess that I don't like the cross that much. I find it hard to die to myself. Please help me to hand over to you all of my dreams and visions, even my ownership of myself. Amen.