And Peter began to rebuke him

Mark 8:31-38

Peter was right, of course. It made no earthly sense to be heading to Jerusalem to be killed. Jesus was around 33, at the height of his powers. He was charismatic, healthy, gifted and well prepared for a lifetime of service. Just think what he could have accomplished! Perhaps Peter envisioned founding a synagogue so Jesus and his followers could teach more people. Maybe health centers, where people could come to be healed. Even feeding stations for the hungry. The needs were so great, it would be a lifetime’s work to meet them all. Why throw that all away?

Alexei Navalny was another very gifted man with a bright future ahead of him. At 47 he was intelligent, funny, articulate and dangerous. Putin had already tried several times to get him to shut up, first by throwing green paint on his face and then by poisoning him. Now he was safe in Germany, among people who supported him, with a ready audience in Russia and around the world, and a family that needed him. The entire free world watched in fear as he got on that plane back to Moscow, knowing what would happen. Many people must have rebuked him; “What are you doing?”.

What did Jesus mean when he said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me?” Do I have a cross that I’m meant to pick up? Should I go down to Lowes and see if they have any for sale?

It’s been my observation over many years that all most of us have to do to find our cross is to look down at our feet. If we don’t have one there right now, we soon will have. What has the Lord given me to carry? Where does he want me to go with it? Will I be courageous enough to carry it all the way to Moscow, to Jerusalem, in spite of the fears, the loving rebukes of those around me?