The Way of the Cross (Matthew 16.21-26)

Introduction

As you know I am sure, last weekend, 21 Christian men in their prime, members of the Coptic Church in Egypt, were dressed in orange jumpsuits, their hands were tied behind their backs, they were lined up on a beach, forced to their knees and were simultaneously beheaded by masked men standing behind them.

I do not have the stomach to watch the footage. But I have seen some stills of these men shortly before they were killed. They knew exactly what was coming. But their bodies are not tensed up in fear. Their faces do not appear to be cringing or even nervous. They all look strangely at peace. At prayer probably... Those who have watched the video of the execution have commented that you could hear some of the men repeat the words “O Lord Jesus” as the beheading started.

These men were humble, Egyptian labourers who had travelled across the border to Libya to earn a living and provide for their families. They were seized and put to death by Islamic State for being -as the video caption specifically says -“People of the Cross.”

Sandra told me that someone came into church during the week, really troubled and perplexed by all this. “Where was God? Why didn’t he protect these men? Why did he let it happen? Doesn’t he care?” They are good questions.

But the truth is that Jesus specifically and repeatedly warned us that this kind of thing would happen. He told us that we should expect it. 

He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

He said, “Look! I am sending you like sheep among wolves.”

He said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

He said, “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.

He said, “A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”

Jesus leaves us in no doubt that violence and rejection will be a common response to Christian belief and discipleship throughout history until he returns. If anything, we should be perplexed that we don’t see more of it than we do. The history of the last 300 years or so for Christians in the Western world is very much the exception in history, and not the rule.

Just before the execution, one of the men turned to the camera with this warning: "Safety for you, Crusaders, is something you can only wish for." 

I don’t want to get into unhelpful speculation, and I am not prophesying that this will happen, but the scenario of a high profile attack on a well-known Christian in our own country is not beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Even ten years ago that would have been pure fantasy. Now, it is absolutely believable.

The Son of Man Must Suffer…

And so the words of Jesus from our reading this morning, which most of us are familiar with, sound more vivid, more relevant, than ever for us.

Jesus said these words a few weeks or perhaps several months before his death. He began to explain that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the powers that be, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Notice that word “must” – he must go, he must die.

Jesus used the word “must” because he knew it was written in the scriptures and as such it was inevitable. The prophets said it would happen. He was absolutely determined to go ahead with it. That was his destiny.

At least three times he predicted his death but those who heard it dismissed it as a kind of vague security briefing. They thought he was saying “These are the kinds of things that might happen if we’re not careful.” But Jesus wasn’t saying that at all. It was his mission statement. He was saying “This is what is going to happen because God has predestined it.”

Peter hears these words and replies (in v22) with what perhaps we might say. For Peter, the most important thing is that Jesus is safe. He takes Jesus aside and begins to tell him off. ‘No way! This is not happening. You are not putting yourself in harm’s way.’

Peter wants Jesus to steer well clear of danger. Don’t go anywhere near Jerusalem. It’s too hazardous, it’s not safe. This is not getting past Peter’s Health and Safety risk assessment. Not on his watch.

So Jesus turns to him and says, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’

It must have stung Peter to hear those words. Let us not try and sanitise them or put a nice gloss on them. This is a severe and humiliating rebuke isn’t it? Everyone must have cringed as they heard it.

Why was Jesus so harsh with Peter? Why did he call him “Satan”? The reason is simple. Jesus has heard this kind of sweet talk before. If you’re familiar with the Gospels, you’ll know about Jesus’ 40 days in the desert where, three times, the devil tries to do exactly what Peter does here - divert Jesus from his mission.

In that story, Satan basically says, “You don’t need to go to the cross. That’s the last thing you want to do, Jesus. Why don’t you go on the X Factor and turn stones to bread? You would be a sensation. Or what about jumping off the temple roof? Watch them gasp as an angel catches you right at the last second! Forget this suffering idea. I can see you name on Broadway: Jesus Christ Superstar! You’ll be bigger than David Copperfield and Dynamo and Houdini!”

Peter is repeating the same line here that the devil used then. “You don’t need to go to the cross. You mustn’t! I won’t allow it! It would be a disaster, a waste, if you were crucified!”

What if Peter had got his way? What if Jesus had said, “You know what? Yeah, let’s stay away from all that. Let’s just go home and lie low for a bit.”

If Jesus had listened to Peter there would be no cross, no resurrection, no salvation for the world, no hope, no eternal life and you and I would be spiritually lost forever. “Get behind me Satan...”

Be My Disciple

Then Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple all they need to do is pray a simple, short prayer and they will be saved.” Except that’s not what he says. “They must deny themselves” he says, “and take up their cross and follow me.”

This is the standard Jesus sets for anyone who wants to join his movement – the word he uses is not ‘member’ or ‘believer’ or ‘follower’ but ‘disciple.’

This word ‘disciple’ is a churchy sort of word to us isn’t it? But it was actually a nontechnical term in Jesus’ day and it basically meant “apprentice” or “trainee.” Jesus is looking for lifetime learners.

For Jesus, being a Christian is a work experience programme in which we are learning new things on an ongoing basis.

Are you a disciple? If you are, what specifically have you learned from Jesus over, say, the last month?

Deny Yourself

To be my apprentice, Jesus says, you have to say no to yourself.

We started Lent on Wednesday and Lent is traditionally a season of self-denial. It’s a season to tone up your spiritual muscles, a work out for the soul and I think that’s a good thing. But for Jesus, denying yourself isn’t just for six weeks before binging on chocolate eggs. His version of self-denial is a whole lifetime of putting him before everything else.

There is a Christian mission organisation called Asian Access. It’s a dynamic movement working throughout Asia and they identify, develop and release leaders of churches that grow and reproduce.

They work in dangerous areas. Their mission is high-risk. In some countries they work in what they do is illegal. I recently came across a list of questions they use. Here’s the list:

• Are you willing to leave home and lose the blessing of your father?
• Are you willing to lose your job?
• Are you willing to go to the village of those who persecute you, forgive them, and share the love of Christ with them?
• Are you willing to be beaten rather than deny your faith?
• Are you willing to go to prison?
• Are you willing to die for Jesus?

Those questions are pretty hardcore aren’t they? I thought to myself these people are really raising the bar for their leaders. But those questions are not used to determine a candidate’s suitability for missionary service. They are used to assess every new convert’s readiness to follow Christ. This is basic Christianity for everyone, not the advanced version for leaders.

I don’t need to tell you how dangerous it is to be a Christian in Iraq.

Andrew White, the vicar of Baghdad, often writes about the contrast he finds between Christianity in his native England and in that land. “In Iraq…” he says, “there is no concept of being a ‘nominal’ Christian as there is in the West. If you are a Christian you go to church each week (which for Christians in Iraq happens on Fridays and Sundays) and at every festival. Christians take days off work or school for key holy days and, as a result, the fact that they are practicing Christians is easily noticed… There can be no hiding… which can make things very difficult and dangerous for believers. Nevertheless our people refuse to deny the practice of their faith.”

Take Up Your Cross

“If you want to be my disciple” says Jesus, “you must not only deny yourself, but also take up your cross.”

Helen Roseveare used to call this “the cross-shaped life.” Take the letter “I,” representing my desires, my agenda, my plans, my ego, my priorities…  And then cross out it out.

Have you ever wondered why do we have a cross on the wall? Most people think it’s there to remind us about the way Jesus’ died. That is true of course. But that isn’t the only reason; it’s also to remind us of the way we live.

Bearing a cross is an expression that has come into our English language directly from Jesus’ teaching. If someone has a nagging wife or a lazy husband or noisy neighbours or a boring job - they might say “Oh, it’s the cross I have to bear.”

But when Jesus said these words nobody thought about nagging wives or lazy husbands. When Jesus talked about carrying your cross everyone would have gasped.

The sight of convicted criminals carrying a cross through the streets to their death was a familiar sight. People would jeer as the victim staggered through the streets to his execution site. It was an image of utter shame and indignity.

But in all the ancient literature we’ve found, hardly anyone talks about crucifixion. Most of the information we have about it comes from the gospels. People didn’t mention it in polite conversation.

“Take up your cross” says Jesus. And from the very beginning to the present day, Christians have almost always been targets of ridicule and derision or often, worse. Even in democratic, tolerant, pluralist, equality-loving Britain, one of the easiest places on earth to be a Christian, people rarely love you for being a full-on follower of Jesus.

Carrying the cross is also about total commitment. Once a criminal picked up his cross, there was only going to be one outcome. No going back. And when your hands are carrying a heavy cross, there’s just no room to carry anything else.

It’s almost as if Jesus is doing his very best here to offend and repel as many people as he could saying these things. If Jesus ever had a PR man he would resign in disgust. It is just impossible to put a nice spin on this stuff. But Jesus always tells it like it is.

We’ve talked about Christians being beheaded this morning but it is unlikely that we will face the choice of denying Jesus or summary decapitation. So let me try and bring all this down to a level we can relate to.

Marriage. If I am married and carrying the cross of Christ, I can’t carry my own massive ego as well. Living a cross-shaped life, transforms marriage. Husbands and wives living with the ‘I’ crossed out, look to always put the other first. They like to say sorry and are quick to forgive. What a wonderful thing to hear your spouse say “My husband, my wife, makes me a better person and encourages me to be a more devoted follower of Jesus.”

Money. If I am carrying a cross, I can’t carry a wad of cash as well. The activist and author Ron Sider wrote recently, “If just the committed Christians in the USA, those who attend church a few times a month, gave away the first tenth of their income… it would fund, each year, 150,000 indigenous missionaries; 50,000 additional theological students in the developing world; 5 million more micro loans to developing world entrepreneurs; the food, clothing and shelter for all 6,5000,000 current refugees in Africa, Asia and the Middle East; all the money for a global campaign to prevent and treat malaria and resources to sponsor 20 million needy children worldwide. It would change the world.”

Church. If I am carrying a cross, I can’t carry useless man-made traditions at the same time. Denying myself means I make worshipping and exalting Jesus with other Christians every Sunday, barring holidays and illness, a basic entry in my diary. It means I pray with all my might and serve as much as I can, to see the gospel preached, the poor cared for, men, women and children saved and our communities coming alive.

Preaching. As a preacher, carrying my cross means I don’t stick to my pet subjects week after week. I resist the temptation to simply entertain and tell people the nice things they want to hear. It means I call everyone I hear to submit to the authority of scripture and centre my message on Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Save Your Life or Lose It

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it,” says Jesus… “but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

The former tennis player Boris Becker once said, “I had won Wimbledon twice, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed. It’s the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.”

Millionaire author Jack Higgins, has written 84 novels that have sold over 150 million copies and been translated into 55 languages. He was asked what he would like to have known as a boy. His answer: “That when you get to the top, there’s nothing there.”

Jesus makes it very clear here: The choices I make here and now directly determine how I will spend eternity.

Nothing we accumulate here on earth; our wealth, our pension, any honours or tributes from our glittering careers, our possessions, our reputation and our privileges … none of that has any value in securing eternal life. It’s all useless.

Ending

This week, a man called Beshir Kamel spoke on TV. He said, "Since the Roman era, Christians have been martyred and have learned to handle everything that comes our way. This only makes us stronger in our faith because the Bible tells us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us."

Beshir Kamel was being interviewed about his two brothers Bishoy and Samuel. There were among the 21 men decapitated on that Libyan beach. They were just 25 and 23 years’ old.

He was asked what he wanted to happen to the masked men who killed his brothers. This was his reply: "My mother, an uneducated woman in her sixties, said she would invite them to enter her house and ask God to open their eyes."

He then closed his eyes and said softly: “Dear God, please open their eyes to be saved and to quit their ignorance and the wrong teachings they were taught.”

That is the way of the cross.

Let’s pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 22nd February 2015