In today’s gospel Jesus is brutally honest with his disciples. Having received Peter’s assertion of faith he takes he begins to talk about his own suffering and death. It’s not surprising that Peter remonstrates with him, it’s hardly what the disciples expected to hear. Having left everything to follow him they want to hear a message full of hope & reassurance. Instead Jesus brushes Peter aside, insisting that following him will include suffering, loss, challenge and conflict. Jesus is making it clear to his disciples that following him will not help them to avoid the suffering of life. On the contrary, he calls them to accept that suffering willingly, refusing to give into the temptations of avoidance and grumbling which can be so soul destroying. He says to them:
“‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let them renounce themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Those who want to save their will lose it; but those who loses their lives life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.’”
His words turn all our expectations upside down, calling us to examine our actions. He challenges us to look honestly at the tactics we use to numb our pain instead of accepting it as part of life and as something we can, by the grace of God, grow through towards new life. Knowing human suffering from personal experience he offers us the hope of completely understanding our suffering, however unlikely that might sometimes appear.
He promises us that whatever sufferings we face in life he will be there with us, a compassionate, loving presence in even the darkest of times. While neither the hope nor the promise will remove the sufferings they offer a framework to encourage us to face them.
What cross is Christ calling you to take up today?