Luke 9:26 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.
God so loved the world that He created that He gave us Jesus that through His birth, death and resurrection mankind could be saved. Love alone saves us, His agape love, covers a multitude of our sins in Christ and without it we would be without hope! Our love for God and our neighbors is the only thing we can carry into eternity. Carla
Mark 8:34-38 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Those condemned to crucifixion were made to carry their own cross (or at least the crossbeam). Jesus’ followers must be prepared to face martyrdom for their allegiance to Him. Such a fate would have meant public shame and scorn.
Based on Peter’s earlier response to Jesus (Mark 8:32) it seems that the disciples expected they would receive political power and favor in the messianic kingdom that they believed Jesus would inaugurate.
Those who place themselves first, instead of the gospel, will be unsuccessful in their self-preservation goals (verse 37). Jesus’ message leads to eternal life —anything else leads to standing in opposition to God, and ultimately to being on the wrong side of His judgment (Mark 8:38).
The Romans reserved crucifixion primarily for those who revolted against the empire’s authority. Jesus is noting that allegiance to Him may require the ultimate sacrifice.
The suffering and death that Jesus must undergo is not the end of His reign; instead it is part of Him accomplishing His purposes on earth. Faithlife Study Bible
To preserve one’s life eternally, one must surrender earthly possessions and relationships held so dearly (Matthew 16:24–27).
When He comes in the glory of His Father is the key of this address to the disciples. It is the first glimpse of the fulfillment of all history. Those who will reign with Christ invest their lives in that which will last. Those who are willing to confess Him today will be rewarded before the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:10–12; 2 Timothy 2:11–13; Revelations 2:26–28). The NKJV Study Bible
Matthew 10:38–39 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Luke 14:27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
This story came to mind after some very recent conversations with Sabbath Moment readers. All still fresh. One asks, “I’m tired and a wee bit overwhelmed. Any suggestions?”
Another, “I cry a lot now. Is that a bad thing?”
And another, “I look forward to that moment when I will wake up, and I’m no longer afraid. Have you had that morning yet?”
For starters, I can relate to all of them. As to suggestions, let’s begin here: “It is reset button time.”
So. Let us take this, from Etty Hillesum, to heart. “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.”
Pain is real. And shock is real. And yet. There is something in our DNA that knows we still have the capacity to choose. To be awake. And to “reclaim”.
I’ve always been drawn to the life and writing of Etty Hillesum. At the age of 29, Etty died at Auschwitz, but the last two years of her life led her into a deepening relationship with God. And into great solidarity with those who suffered. She wrote, “There is a really deep well inside me. And in it dwells God. Sometimes I am there, too... Dear God, these are anxious times... We must help You to help ourselves. And that is all we can manage these days and also all that really matters: that we safeguard that little piece of You, God, in ourselves.” (From, An Interrupted Life: The Diaries)
When there is no restrictor plate, we are no longer afraid…
To be there for one another.
To create places to serve and heal and engage.
And to give ourselves the permission to try. And yes, to fail. To fall down. And to get up again.
To live messy. To cry. To embrace. To love. To care.
To say I’m sorry. To say I forgive you.
To be kind. To be gentle with our self.
To be big-hearted. To balter without justification.
I know this feels counterintuitive in a world with unsettling news, with real world danger and suffering. And I understand the temptation to step away, as if I can keep life’s vicissitudes from pummeling me.
Reading the news these past days, I could feel hope drain. And a lot of certainties felt upended.
When life is upside down and pain is real, I can close my eyes and pretend that life is different. And I get the temptation. It’s a self-protective thing. And there’s a blame game to remove myself from any responsibility. Or calling. Or duty.
I can do that, yes, but here’s the deal: when pain is real, and our heart is breaking, it still means that we have a heart.
And from that place, there’s still a hand to hold. There’s a spirit to hug. A wound to heal. A wrong to right. A mouth to feed. A fear to repeal.
I will take Adam Bucko’s encouragement, “It may not be in our power to determine how things will unfold, but it is in our power to decide how we respond. It is in our power to hold on to the practices that nourish us, inform us, and give us courage.”
I take heart in Dan Rather’s Sunday column, “Reason to Smile.” He wrote, “This week, it is especially hard to find any reason to smile. So, we have decided to pay homage to a song of healing and redemption: ‘Amazing Grace.’” Sabbath Moments
Proverbs 4:7 (ESV) "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight."
Proverbs teaches that true wisdom begins with seeking understanding from God.
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