March 5th, 2026
Thursday, March 5
From that time Jesus began to explain to his disciples that it would be necessary that he go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders and chief priests and the scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him saying, “God have mercy, Lord! May this never happen to you!” But turning to Peter, he said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, since you are not thinking things of God but of human things.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let that person disregard themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
~Matthew 16:21-24
From that time Jesus began to explain to his disciples that it would be necessary that he go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders and chief priests and the scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him saying, “God have mercy, Lord! May this never happen to you!” But turning to Peter, he said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, since you are not thinking things of God but of human things.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let that person disregard themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
~Matthew 16:21-24
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"Take up your cross and follow me.” I wonder how much we truly understand this. It’s ok if we don’t. The disciples didn’t, repeatedly (Luke 9:45; 18:34). It’s challenging because our lives are too comfortable, too much on the top side of our society. We’d have too much to lose if we actually took up the cross as Jesus intended it. So instead we minimize the cross with the resurrection: the cross is defeated by resurrection, something that Jesus triumphed over; the cross is what Jesus did for us, so we don’t have to; we get to experience the win because Jesus went to the cross in our place. Sadly, the New Testament affirms none of this. The resurrection defeats death, not the cross.
I say none of this to make anyone feel bad or guilty. Jesus doesn’t operate by guilting people; we probably shouldn’t, either. But I do say this to draw attention to the serious call to the life of the cross. The cross is not a speed bump, an obstacle on the way to resurrection. Resurrection doesn’t overcome the cross; it affirms the cross. And the cross becomes the thing that defines the way of life for those who follow in the way of Jesus. The joy of resurrection must pass through the cross, for all of us. Lent reminds us of this. And it makes resurrection all the richer.
Crucifixion was a horrible and shameful state-enforced death. The body was exposed, usually naked. Those crucified were humiliated, shamed, and publicly displayed for passers-by to laugh at, mock, and be repulsed by. It was a sign that Rome was triumphant. Crucifixion was primarily (almost exclusively) used on the low class, non-citizens, slaves, criminals, and political or social rebellious types. When Jesus is on the cross, everyone thinks he’s one of those. He willingly went there. To take up your cross means to go there with Jesus.
You can see why the biggest problem for Christians for the next few hundred years was that they worshipped and modeled their lives after the guy who was crucified. Not good PR. Somehow, in a culture where seeing a cross necklace is as common as seeing a Starbucks, the scandal of the cross has been compromised.
That Jesus, the Son of God, would be crucified was utterly nonsense. Peter got it. You can see why he would object so strongly. You would, too. We still do, especially in the ways we are prone to “spiritualizing” Jesus’ death.
Yet, the early church did not try to get around it. This is probably one main reason the church for a long while was made up primarily of the lower class. Jesus was one of them. They got it. For most Greeks and Romans and Jews, if God or someone even claiming to act in the name of God were to become human and suffer and be crucified, the wheels would fall off of everything normal and respectable. Everything you built your world on, what you thought was “typical” or proper would be shattered.
What if this crazy, nonsensical vision of taking up the cross were an invitation to a way of living that actually brings greater life than having all of the amenities and good things our world has to offer? What if taking the path of suffering and sharing suffering actually opens us up to a humanity that we’ll never know until we take it upon ourselves? What if it’s the thing we’re most deeply longing for, but looking for in other things or experiences that just won’t get us there?
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For reflection:
Prayer: God of the cross, you call us out of our comfort. Too often we keep ourselves safe and protected. Heal our blindness to see the beauty of your nonsensical life. Amen.
"Take up your cross and follow me.” I wonder how much we truly understand this. It’s ok if we don’t. The disciples didn’t, repeatedly (Luke 9:45; 18:34). It’s challenging because our lives are too comfortable, too much on the top side of our society. We’d have too much to lose if we actually took up the cross as Jesus intended it. So instead we minimize the cross with the resurrection: the cross is defeated by resurrection, something that Jesus triumphed over; the cross is what Jesus did for us, so we don’t have to; we get to experience the win because Jesus went to the cross in our place. Sadly, the New Testament affirms none of this. The resurrection defeats death, not the cross.
I say none of this to make anyone feel bad or guilty. Jesus doesn’t operate by guilting people; we probably shouldn’t, either. But I do say this to draw attention to the serious call to the life of the cross. The cross is not a speed bump, an obstacle on the way to resurrection. Resurrection doesn’t overcome the cross; it affirms the cross. And the cross becomes the thing that defines the way of life for those who follow in the way of Jesus. The joy of resurrection must pass through the cross, for all of us. Lent reminds us of this. And it makes resurrection all the richer.
Crucifixion was a horrible and shameful state-enforced death. The body was exposed, usually naked. Those crucified were humiliated, shamed, and publicly displayed for passers-by to laugh at, mock, and be repulsed by. It was a sign that Rome was triumphant. Crucifixion was primarily (almost exclusively) used on the low class, non-citizens, slaves, criminals, and political or social rebellious types. When Jesus is on the cross, everyone thinks he’s one of those. He willingly went there. To take up your cross means to go there with Jesus.
You can see why the biggest problem for Christians for the next few hundred years was that they worshipped and modeled their lives after the guy who was crucified. Not good PR. Somehow, in a culture where seeing a cross necklace is as common as seeing a Starbucks, the scandal of the cross has been compromised.
That Jesus, the Son of God, would be crucified was utterly nonsense. Peter got it. You can see why he would object so strongly. You would, too. We still do, especially in the ways we are prone to “spiritualizing” Jesus’ death.
Yet, the early church did not try to get around it. This is probably one main reason the church for a long while was made up primarily of the lower class. Jesus was one of them. They got it. For most Greeks and Romans and Jews, if God or someone even claiming to act in the name of God were to become human and suffer and be crucified, the wheels would fall off of everything normal and respectable. Everything you built your world on, what you thought was “typical” or proper would be shattered.
What if this crazy, nonsensical vision of taking up the cross were an invitation to a way of living that actually brings greater life than having all of the amenities and good things our world has to offer? What if taking the path of suffering and sharing suffering actually opens us up to a humanity that we’ll never know until we take it upon ourselves? What if it’s the thing we’re most deeply longing for, but looking for in other things or experiences that just won’t get us there?
__________________________________________
For reflection:
- What makes taking up the cross uncomfortable? How do you avoid it in your own life (be honest about this)?
- What might it mean to think that the resurrection affirms the cross, rather than overcomes the cross?
- For those with kids: Imagine being ridiculed, made fun of, or treated as unimportant. How would this make you feel? This is how Jesus was treated on the cross. How can you relate to Jesus?
Prayer: God of the cross, you call us out of our comfort. Too often we keep ourselves safe and protected. Heal our blindness to see the beauty of your nonsensical life. Amen.
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