Lent 2B

Text: “34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

The Christian faith is hard.

It is absolutely true that you are saved by grace alone, through faith, apart from works. That does not change the fact that the Christian faith is hard.

St. Peter learned that the hard way here. He believed in Jesus. He made a confession of who Jesus was that brought praise from Jesus. But then, when Jesus began to talk about sin and its price, Peter balked. St. Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him (Mark 8:32). Perhaps Peter said something along the lines of: “[Lord, people] already feel guilty enough. They're not doing what they should, raising their kids — we can all find reasons. [What if we just say], ‘You know what? [You] may not be perfect, but [you’re] moving forward. [You’re] doing better.’ And I think that motivates [them] to do better” (Joel Osteen, interview on CBS Sunday Morning. Quoted by Shane Idleman, “Joel Osteen: Preach God's Truth; Don't Avoid Sin, Repentance.” www.ChristianPost.com, March 29, 2016.). Jesus’ response? He didn’t just shut Peter down. Peter had pulled Jesus aside to rebuke him. Ostensibly, Peter is telling Jesus these things out of earshot of the other disciples. But, now, Jesus turns back to the rest of the disciples and declares to Peter in front of all of them: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Mark 8:33).

The Christian faith is hard. It is as hard as the cross. Yes, what Jesus did on the cross was unthinkably hard. But it goes further than that. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). It’s about losing your life for His sake and for the sake of the Gospel (Mark 8:35).

What is at stake? Potentially, having the Son of God rebuke you, saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33). Potentially, gaining the whole world but losing your soul (Mark 8:36). Potentially, finding that, when the Son of Man comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels, He is ashamed of you (Mark 8:38).

There used to be stories about a man named Faust who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. He met the devil at a crossroads one day and made the pact. The stories go on to show what a bad bargain that was. The deal gave Faust incredible success, an amazing reputation, not to mention every worldly pleasure. That’s no small thing. But would 70, or 80, or 90, or 100 years of that really be worth losing your soul for eternity? It would open the door for incredible experiences of every kind. At the end of the story, with death drawing nearer and nearer; with all the pleasures and reputation and success behind him; Faust starts to scramble to find a way to find a way out of the deal he made. He learned the truth of Jesus’ words: “what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Now, that’s not how it works for you and me. I doubt that you’ve ever been approached by the devil or one of his demons with an opportunity to sell your soul. But, believe it or not, you have that chance regularly. Only, the devil does not offer you everything, all at once. You sell him your soul a little bit at a time. Day after day.

You sell it to him when you trade Bible study for Sunday brunch. You sell it to him when you get a few more dollars at the price of your integrity. You sell it to him when you show that the things of this world are far more important to you than the things of God.

I recall a number of conversations when some of you shared with me that, back in the day, the rule in our school was that, if you didn’t go to church you couldn’t practice or play in any games that week. It makes an interesting statement about where people’s priorities were. But, at least, they were trying to make a statement about what is truly important. To paraphrase Jesus: What does it profit a parent to raise an NBA star and forfeit his soul?

Last Sunday we sang those wonderful words of Martin Luther: “But take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife, though these all be gone they yet have nothing won, the Kingdom ours remaineth” (A Mighty Fortress). Do you really believe that? Are you really willing to do that— to give up your livelihood rather than give up your faith; to give up your reputation rather than your confession; to give up your life rather than deny your Savior?

You have been given new birth by water and the Spirit. You have been made holy. Turn away from the sinful life you have been delivered from and follow Jesus? “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” Jesus declared (Mark 8:34).

Yes, that is a battle. That’s why Jesus talked about ‘denying yourself’. That’s why He referred to it as ‘taking up your cross.’

Christianity is hard. It would be easy to just go on, pursuing your own reputation; pursuing your selfish desires; pursuing the things that this world tells you are really important. It’s easy, but what comes of that? Hopefully you’re at least ashamed of all the places where that life leads. But the end of those things is death (Romans 6:21). “22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit [of your life is] sanctification and… eternal life” (Romans 6:22). Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Jesus.

Deny yourself, take up your cross, and believe that Jesus Christ, your Savior, gave Himself in exchange for your soul. Believe that He gave up His life in exchange for yours. Believe that He has redeemed you, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won you from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death that you may be His own and live under Him in His Kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

Why does God command you to gather regularly for worship? It’s not because He needs something from you. It’s because here, in His Word, you find the strength to live a holy life. Because here, in His Word, you are sanctified to serve Him in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness in the classroom, on the playground, in your workplace, in your neighborhood— in the confidence that, when the Son of Man comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels, He will say to you, “Well done.”