Luke 14:25-33
Good News: Cross carrying is a prerequisite for the Kingdom of God. Fortunately, God has provided Jesus. He shows us the cross carrying way of life by carrying the cross for us.
When we study the gospels, one particular characteristic about Jesus becomes noticeable. Throughout the three years of Jesus’ ministry he seems to have all the patience in the world with people, and even crowds. But.......
once he realizes what he must do for them...
once he makes the shift from minister, teacher, healer to savior of the world for them...
once he sets his sites on the cross he will bear in Jerusalem for them...
Then, his patience for them begins to wane. This tells us as much about the crowd as it does about Jesus.
It tells us that Jesus knew what he had to do. He knew from Herod's threat that he could end up beheaded just like John the Baptist if he went to Jerusalem. He knew from the Pharisees' treatment of blasphemers, prostitutes, and others that he could be stoned to death if he went to Jerusalem. And, he knew from Pilates' treatment of other troublesome Jews that he could be crucified if he went to Jerusalem. He knew, and yet he went...for them. He knew the heavy load he would have to bear once he got to Jeruslamem. But, he also knew that if he were to do it, if he were to bear it, then maybe...just maybe, the people would see the folly in their sinful ways. Just maybe, if one innocent, Kingdom seeking, son of God were to be killed beneath the weight of the world's sinful trappings, then maybe...just maybe, the world would begin to see the truth and change its ways. He loved his disciples so much, that he was willing to die so that they would see, and then spend their lives pursuing, the Kingdom of God.
It tells us that the crowd was not in favor of Jesus’ direction. It tells us that they couldn't see beyond the destructive, frightening forces that awaited Jesus in Jerusalem. It tells us that they didn't trust him, and thought they knew a better, safer, more comfortable way by avoiding Jerusalem. By avoiding Jerusalem, they were avoiding the mission. By avoiding Jerusalem they were avoiding the truth about the sin of the world. By avoiding the truth, they were perpetuating and advocating for sin. This was not going to help matters. This was not going to heal the world of its sinful ways. This was only going to make things worse.
The crowds were following with their feet, but they were not following with their lives. Jesu shad changed. His mission was now focussed and it was passionate for them. But, they were not willing to change. They wanted the easy road. So, Jesus turns around to the crowd and shares some rather matter-of-fact words with them. This isn’t your cuddly, warm, buddy Jesus who’s reminding you of grace. This is straight-shooting Jesus who’s telling you exactly how it is. Jesus could have been easy on the disciples and our us by saying, “It’s pretty painless being a disciple. Show up on Sundays. Love your wife. Love your kids. Make it to work on time. Be nice to your neighbors.” But he didn’t. He actually calls people out, reminding them that discipleship takes blood, sweat and tears. If it’s the Kingdom of God you seek, then the weight of carrying a cross is your prerequisite.
Wow! That's heavy. Jesus lays the cross upon their shoulders--makes them feel the weight, the pain of it. Why would he do such a thing? Where's the love?
The answers to those two questions is in believing the mission he was on. In this moment, he was hard on them, because he loved them.
My doctor, now don't hear me saying that my doctor loves me, cause I don't think so. But, I wouldn't go to this doctor--better, wouldn't trust my doctor if I didn't believe in him, and believe that he cared, at least, about what's best for me. Now, in order for my doctor to do his job, and to do it a way that is worthy of my trust is for him to tell me the truth about my condition. My doctor tells me that if I need to start preparing myself for the inevitable truth about all the cholesterol I add to my bloodstream. That's not good news. At least not at first. He told me the truth. And with that, I have an invitation to change my ways and be prepared for the inevitable.
My friends, spiritual preparation is no different. We need Jesus to tell us the truth, refuse to permit us to avoid it, and then command us to do something about it--PICK UP YOU CROSS!
So, what do we know about the crosses we carry?
Well, we can identify ours because we know about the one Jesus carried. From Jesus, we learn that crosses are the weight of sin. Either the weight of sin that we have committed, or they are the weight of sins that were committed to you. One is the weight of shame and guilt. The other is the weight of the inability to forgive. We also know from Jesus’ cross that crosses are the weight of fear, anxiety, despair. And finally we know from Jesus cross that crosses are the weight of compassion for the lonely, the broken, the unloved.
So, what crosses are you carrying?
Maybe Jesus was hard on the disciples that time because in truth, he knew very well the weight they had upon their shoulders. Maybe he knew, and even felt their weight. Maybe he saw in their attempts to avoid the mission as just their attempt to avoid the truth they ---and we--must all face--the inevitable truth that lays like a cross before us waiting for us to pick up and carry it. But, day in and ay out we try to avoid it.
Not with Jesus--He will not permit us to avoid the truth. PICK UP YOUR CROSS!
You see, Jesus knows that if we would only trust him, even just for a moment enough to pick up our cross--to face the truth of our sinfulness, our shame, our pain, that in that very same moment, the grace of the Lord would come rushing in--we would realize that the innocent one, the Son of God, is once again carrying the cross that is meant for us. If only we would pick up our cross, we would find that we can--and then we would find that our Lord takes it from us
And then---and only then---do we know the truth about what freedom is, what grace is, who Christ is. And we know because we are free! Free from all that shame. Free from all that guilt. Free from all that pain. Free from the weight of our cross!
And once we are free, truly free---why now we have a new purpose in life. Freed from the weight of our own cross, we can carry someone elses. And that's when we become the church. The church is nothing more, nor less, than a group of people who are free to carry crosses for others.
Jesus has already carried the cross of the world.
So, all we’re asked is to trust him, and pick up ours and follow. The moment we do, we find that Jesus is right there lifting with us.
When our weight is on Jesus’ shoulders, we walk beside him through life more joyfully.
This is the blessing of the church—the body of Christ.
Because Christ is the one who lifts the weight from off our shoulders, when someone else has the weight of their cross upon their backs—we are able to be Christ for them. We are able to carry a cross for others, because Christ is carrying ours.
Amen.
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