Tuesday with Jesus #1

"If anyone wills for himself to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" -- Luke 9:23; (see also Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34)

Soooooo, most everyone knows this verse and most everyone doesn't take the "disown himself" too seriously. [Was I too harsh? Sorry. ]

In any case, any idea of the context of these words of Jesus? Well, in all three gospels Peter has just said the Jesus is the Messiah [Christ] sent by God. In Matthew and Mark, Peter is also reprimanded for telling Jesus that he should not suffer according to God's plan. Yep, Peter was pretty plain spoken and loyal, but sometimes a bit clueless.

Anyway, there really is a lot going on in this passage.

1. The matter of personal will or choice to come after Jesus
2. Jesus seems to think someone might want to follow him -- why?
3. Where is Jesus going that anyone would want to follow him ["come after me"] ?
4. Disown self -- what's with that? Do you own [???] your self so that then you can disown your self?
5. Take up his cross - not Jesus' cross -- hmmmmm, what was Jesus' cross? what is one's own cross?
6. How does one find out his own cross ? [hint: How did Jesus find his cross?]
7. Oh yeah, what's with the DAILY part - only in Luke btw ?
8. And -- is the "follow me" a DAILY thing too?
9. And where's all the clarity of HOW to do this -- ?? is it simply disown take-up and follow?
10. Where are the Mapquest directions?

What is going on at this point in Luke's story?

Luke has told the story of Jesus' origin, a very little bit about his early life, and about his ministry in Galilee. This story comes as he is about to leave Galilee and "set out resolutely" for Jerusalem [9:51]. The apostles have been chosen and Jesus has just begun to talk about the suffering he - the Messiah [Christ] - "must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." Peter didn't like that idea at all. In Matthew's and Mark's versions, he tries to rebuke Jesus who, sternly rebukes Peter with "get behind me, Satan, you are not thinking anything like God thinks."

So Jesus has made it plain that in addition to all the wonderful things about following Jesus - forgiveness of sins, healing of ills, feeding the hungry - there is guaranteed and necessary suffering, rejection, death and resurrection.

Sometimes our eyes stop at the cross - suffering, rejection, abandonment and death - and do not look to the resurrection as being included in the meaning of "follow me!"