The Rev. Dr. Kenneth H. Saunders III
Greeneville, TN
Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 26:1-8
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28
I think one of the hardest things for us to do is admit that we don’t always know what is best. We do because we want to fix things. We want to protect the people we love... We want to make things right. And when the world gets to the point where it feels chaotic and out of control, we want someone to take charge, to do something and make everything better. We want a Messiah who can solve the problem. Peter certainly did.
Just moments before today’s Gospel (the part that we heard last week), Peter had correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus even blessed him for recognizing it. But in today’s lesson from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus begins to explain what it means to be the Messiah.
He tells the disciples that he is going to Jerusalem, where he will suffer, be rejected, and be killed, but on the third day he will be raised. Peter cannot stand it. He says, “God forbid it, Lord!” In other words, Peter is saying… That’s not how this is supposed to work. Peter had a different idea of what the Messiah should be... And it wasn’t suffering, it wasn’t vulnerability, and it definitely didn’t involve a Roman cross. Peter wanted Jesus to have a crown. And I think the Church has been tempted by that same idea ever since.
We live in a world where power is often measured by who wins, who controls the conversation, who can silence the opposition, who can make the strongest argument, or who can force the outcome they want. And, as Christians, we are not immune to that temptation. We can begin to believe that the Church’s job is to win arguments, gain influence, protect ourselves… or we think our job is to make the world look more like how we think it ought to look.
But Jesus says something very different. He says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” That’s strong language. Peter doesn’t understand yet what Jesus is trying to teach him… He tells Peter not to give in to the temptations of this world, not to be consumed by how the world sees power.
The way of God is not the way of domination. The way of God is the way of the Cross. And then Jesus turns to all of them, not just Peter, and says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
That sounds like a beautiful saying, especially when we sterilize it, glamourize it, and put it on a banner, a readerboard sign, or a stained-glass window. It becomes much harder when we actually have to live it. Because taking up our Cross is NOT about putting up with life’s difficulties.
I’ve heard some folks say, “That’s just my cross to bear.” Maybe they’re talking about a difficult job, a difficult relationship, an illness... or maybe some disappointment. We need to realize that Jesus isn’t telling us to passively endure whatever life throws at us. And taking up our Cross certainly doesn’t mean remaining in an abusive situation or accepting injustice as God’s will. The Cross is NOT about seeking suffering. The Cross is about choosing love... choosing love when love costs us something.
Paul gives us a glimpse of what that sacrificial love looks like in his letter to the Romans. Love one another, he says. Don’t think you are better than others... Don’t repay evil with evil... Care for people who are hurting... Show hospitality, especially to strangers. Bless those who persecute you. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. And, perhaps hardest of all, don’t seek revenge.
That sounds a bit countercultural to our society right now. We are living through a moment of extraordinary division. Public life around us has become hostile, angry, and distrustful. Around the globe, violence continues to take the lives of innocent people. And even some within the Christian faith seem more interested in proving who is right about this or that than showing people what the love of Christ actually looks like.
But there are also signs of another way… There have been recent appeals from Christian leaders for dialogue, mercy, and peace, but they have faced backlash and ridicule. These leaders are trying to use their prophetic voice to remind us that the Gospel calls us toward something different from the violence and division.
There are generous expressions of unifying faith out there… If we look around us, we can see it… We see churches rebuilding homes after disaster... We see congregations opening their buildings to people in need. We see Christians working across denominational and even political lines to feed hungry people, house families, and care for communities.
Here in Tennessee, churches and church groups continue to help communities that are still recovering from Hurricane Helene almost 2 years later. I even heard the story of another congregation the other day that is turning a portion of its property into affordable housing.
That is what taking up the Cross looks like. It’s not always dramatic. Sometimes it looks like showing up & listening… Sometimes it looks like forgiving someone who we think doesn’t deserve it. It means standing beside someone who has been pushed to the margins of society. It means giving up our need to be right so that we can remain in relationship with others. Or, it could even mean choosing peace when anger would be so much easier.
The Cross is where Jesus shows us that sacrificial love is much stronger than earthly power. And that is why Jesus asks us to take up our Cross. He isn’t asking us to save the world; he’s already done that. He’s just asking us to follow him... He’s asking us to become people whose lives look more and more like his. People who love and forgive... People who serve... People who stand with the vulnerable... People who refuse to answer hatred with hatred. And people who believe that even in a divided and wounded world, God’s love is still at work.
Because when Jesus asks us to pick up our Cross and follow, the question he asks isn’t, “What do you believe?” The question is: What are you willing to live for? What are you willing to give yourself to? What will matter enough to you that you are willing to sacrifice for it?... That you’re willing to die for it?
This week, Tennessee lost one of its most beloved daughters, Dolly Parton. Dolly was a songwriter, performer, businesswoman, and entertainer. But I think what makes her death feel like a loss to so many people is that she seemed to understand that a life is about more than what you accomplish.
She gave herself away. She used her success to give children books through the Imagination Library. She gave generously to people recovering from disasters. She invested in her hometown and in the people of Tennessee. And she did it all with a combination of humility, humor, and joy.
Dolly's life reminds us of something Jesus is saying in today's Gospel. What are we going to do with the life God has given us? We can spend our lives accumulating more money, more stuff, more recognition, more influence, more security. Or we can give ourselves away. Like our Bishop said just a month ago... Our true power is shown through giving ourselves away.
That's what Jesus means when he says, "Take up your cross and follow me." The cross isn't about seeking suffering. It's about giving ourselves away in love. And perhaps that is part of the reason so many people are grieving Dolly Parton this week. Whatever our politics, our background, or our generation…
People saw in Dolly something that transcended all of that. She made all people feel welcome. She made people laugh. She told stories about ordinary people. And she used what she had been given to make life better for someone else. That is a pretty good way to spend a life. And it is remarkably close to what Jesus asks of us.
He doesn't want us to become Dolly Parton or become famous or successful. But to ask ourselves, What has God given me… and how can I give it away in love? Because in the economy of God's kingdom, the life we give away is never wasted. It becomes a blessing. It becomes a legacy. It becomes our witness to the love of Christ. And ultimately, it becomes life.
We don’t find life by holding on to ourselves. We find life by following Jesus. So perhaps taking up our Cross means asking ourselves every morning, “Where is Jesus asking me to love today?” Who needs me to listen? Who needs forgiveness? Who needs compassion? Who needs someone to stand beside them? Where can I choose peace instead of winning? Where can I give myself away for the sake of someone else?
Because that is what it means to be disciples who take up the Cross of Christ… Not someone who seeks power... Not someone who has all the answers... Not someone who wins every argument. But someone who emulates Jesus... Someone who loves when it is difficult. And someone who serves when no one is watching.
We should strive to be disciples who welcome the stranger, care for the hurting, seek justice, practice forgiveness… and refuse to give up on the possibility of reconciliation.
Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” It won’t always be easy. Jesus never said that it would be… But we don’t walk the way of the Cross alone... Christ goes before us, Christ walks beside us, and Christ promises us that the way of the Cross is the way of love, sacrifice, and grace... and that way ultimately leads to life. So let us take up our crosses and follow Jesus.
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