“If any want to become my followers, let them deny
themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
What did Jesus mean?
What do we think he meant?
What is the common or dominant view?
Could it mean something else?
Before we take up our cross we have to deny ourselves. What
could this mean? Some have interpreted this to mean that they have to give up
their right to everything in life, to even hate themselves, to put up with everything.
We have to lay something aside. What could we be asked to
lay aside? Perhaps a certain way of thinking or certain ways of thinking,
perhaps lay them down in order to take up another.
Peter confesses to Jesus that he believes that Jesus is the
Messiah. Jesus again warns his disciples not to tell anyone about him. When
Jesus starts to speak about the future and the suffering he will endure, Peter
takes him aside to stop Jesus talking such nonsense. This cannot happen to the
Messiah. It’s going to be all up, up, up to glory from here on. But Jesus rebukes
Peter, saying, “Get behind me Satan.”
Rather than up, up, up is it more about down, down,
down? Rather than inviting us on an
upwardly journey Jesus seems to be inviting us to grow down to a way of being,
a way of being that he models. Not a godlike way of being but a human way of
being – to real humanness. To be the best human being. We are to follow his
example, that is to lay down our life, set it aside, and take up our cross and
follow Jesus.
As I reflect on the words “Get behind me Satan” I wonder
whether Satan could be a name for all that is bad about humanity? Could Satan stand for the down ward pull of
humanity? All that robs us of living together in harmony, peace, equitably?
Do we then need to lay aside the ways of Satan and then
follow Jesus by taking up the cross?
What the cross meant for Jesus illuminates what the cross
means for us. Jesus dramatically changes the story. Deepak Chopra says that, ‘With
the death of Jesus comes the death of the old way of thinking. With the
resurrection comes the birth of the new way of thinking.’ The old way of
thinking and acting killed Jesus but was unable to stop him from rising to life
again. Being born again does entail a death.
First of all we determine to lay aside the old way of
thinking and then taking up the cross each of us is involved in putting to
death that old thinking. So that human beings can discover a much richer level
of humanity to live by. Deepak Chopra suggests that in these days it may mean a
shift from consumption to relationship, from valuing my life over yours to
valuing that which gives life to you and not just thinking of myself.
Sarah Dylan Breuer http://www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2006/03/second_sunday_i.html
- In being called to follow Jesus, as his disciples, we are called to let go
our power, recognise our power, our privilege and let it go- the way to
abundant life leads to the cross.
We are taught to be strong, to be tough, to protect
ourselves, to defend ourselves, to arm ourselves but the way of the cross is
about becoming defenceless
Jesus doesn’t say take up your weapons as in arm yourself,
but take up your cross, disarm yourself. Usually we have to put others down in
order to elevate ourselves but with Jesus it is not that way.
Christianity is a religion for the poor but it has become a
religion of the rich and controlled by the rich and powerful and what is left
of value is trickled down to the poor but that is not the way it should be.
I wonder if the Christian churches have got their theology
wrong regarding their theology of the cross? So often ‘the cross’ refers to the
suffering and death of Jesus and is interpreted in purely sacrificial language.
An execution is turned metaphorically into a sacrifice. Is there more to the
meaning of the cross than this? Is there a meaning or meanings that are not so
otherworldly, something done on a spiritual unseen level but rather something
that we can actually participate in rather than something done on our behalf.
If Jesus is the only worthy sacrifice why do we need to take up our cross?
In inviting all who want to be Jesus' followers to take up their
cross he is inviting us to identify with a God who longs for a transformed
world, a world of justice and non-violence.
In lent we contemplate a pre-Easter human Jesus (Borg)
Jesus doesn’t say if you want to be my disciples you need to
believe certain things, but take up something, join me in something, be willing
to sacrifice your life for a better world, be willing to sacrifice your life so
that this becomes a better world for those marginalised and impoverished in
society.
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