Synoptic Gospels 4: Lord and Lamb (4)
Pray Psalm 23.4, 5.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.Sing Psalm 23.4, 5.
(The Gift of Love: Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire)
The LORD is ever by my side; His rod and staff with me abide.
A table rich for me He spreads; with oil my LORD anoints my head.
Read Matthew 16.21-26; Mark 8.31-38; Luke 9.21-26; meditate on Matthew 16.21-26.
Preparation
1. What does Jesus require of those who would follow Him?
2. For Whom should we be willing to lose our life?
Meditation
In the light of Peter’s confession and blunder (vv. 16, 22, 23), Jesus lays all His cards on the table: The way to life is through the cross, and there’s a cross for everyone who intends to follow Jesus (“his cross”, v. 24).
Not necessarily a literal cross, but the cross as a symbol of self-denial, willingness to suffer, love for God and neighbor, and resolute faith. Jesus suffered before He entered the joy that was set down before Him (Heb. 12.1, 2). Why should we think it would be any different for us? The greatest barrier between us and the joy of God in Christ is not the suffering we may have to endure in following Jesus. It’s the allure of the world (v. 26), the mocking voice that says suffering and self-denial are for suckers and simpletons; life is for the taking.
The world looks so bright and attractive, but it is a dark and devouring snare; and the more we dabble in it— the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life—the more we are transformed into its image. Christina Rosetti saw that wooing power in her poem, “The World”:
By day she woos me, soft, exceeding fair:
But all night as the moon so changeth she;
Loathsome and foul with hideous leprosy
And subtle serpents gliding in her hair.
By day she woos me to the outer air,
Ripe fruits, sweet flowers, and full satiety:
But through the night, a beast she grins at me,
A very monster void of love and prayer.
By day she stands a lie: by night she stands
In all the naked horror of the truth
With pushing horns and clawed and clutching hands.
Is this a friend indeed; that I should sell
My soul to her, give her my life and youth,
Till my feet, cloven too, take hold on hell?
When Jesus comes again, all our works will be revealed (v. 27); and if we have loved the world more than our cross, that will be made known, and we will be exposed for the hypocrites we have been. The way to life in Jesus is the same as the way He chose: the cross of self-denial and loving service.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus names the one who does the wooing:
“Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me,
for you are not mindful of the things of God,
but the things of men” (Matt. 16.23).
The Christian life is not easy, and anyone who tells you differently is passing on a word from the enemy.
Jesus told the disciples that He:
-must go to Jerusalem
-must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes
-must be killed
-will be raised from the dead on the third day (Matt. 16.21; Mk. 8.31; Lk. 9.22).
Jesus tells His disciples that we:
-must take up our cross daily
-must follow Him
-must lose our lives for His sake
-will gain our lives for His sake (Matt. 16.24, 25; Mk. 8.34, 35; Lk. 9.23, 24).
Jesus also informs His followers that without doing this, our lives lack meaning—are pointless.
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” (Lk. 9.25).
And then He puts the final warning point forward:
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words,
of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory,
and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Lk. 9.26).
The Gospel should always be preached with a Black Box Warning attached.
The point of sharing the Good News is not to get lots of people to sign up and be saved.
The driving force—the point—is living in the Kingdom of God,
and in His righteousness, for His glory, and His honor.
To know Him and to be known by Him.
To love and obey Him.
To glorify and enjoy Him forever.
To worship the King.
And yes, we long for many others to be saved, redeemed, and revived for His purposes and His service.
Our quote today is from Matthew Henry (1662-1714), and his father Philip Henry (1631-1696) was a pastor who preached a sermon on tithing. And within his oratory he said, “He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose.” A very good point about our earthly goods.
But somewhere along the line, Jim Elliot (1927-1956)—a missionary martyred for his faith—perhaps read that quote, and then changed the words a bit to reach even further into self-denial and joy when following Jesus completely: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Both ideas are worthy of our embrace.
Both, when followed, lead one to give up the things which we tend to hang onto: our money and our lives.
When we are not grasping for those things, our hands are freed up
to take hold of our cross and follow Jesus.
Reflection
1. How would you explain “take up your cross” to a new believer?
2. What can keep us from taking up our cross daily? How should we deal with this?
3. Today, who needs you to help bear their cross?
A true disciple of Christ is one that does follow him in duty, and shall follow him to glory. He is one that walks in the same way Christ walked in, is led by his Spirit, and treads in his steps, whithersoever he goes. “Let him deny himself.” If self-denial be a hard lesson, it is no more than what our Master learned and practiced, to redeem us, and to teach us. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 16.24-28
Pray Psalm 23.1-4, 6.
Devote yourself anew to following Jesus wherever He leads. Commit your day to Him, to deny yourself and serve others with the love of Jesus. Be specific in your prayer.
Sing Psalm 23.1-4, 6.
(The Gift of Love: Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire)
Because the LORD my Shepherd is I shall not want, for I am His!
He makes me lie in pastures green, He leads by waters cool, serene.
My soul He quickens and will bless; He leads in paths of righteousness.
Though I may walk in death’s dark vale, I shall not fear—He will not fail!
Goodness and mercy, full and free, shall ever after follow me,
and in the house of God, my LORD, shall I abide forevermore!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is concentrating on praying the psalms to seek revival—why we should and what we might expect. In our twice-weekly Crosfigell column we have begun a new series on Brendan, called “The Navigator.” Why was he called that? Join us and find out. Our current ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church”, enters the home stretch now by leading us to pray for our church’s impact. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
