Our reading for this Sunday follows on the heels of last week’s account and is a real turning point in Matthew’s gospel. The disciples have a better understanding of who Jesus is, having identified him as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Yet they’re not at all prepared for what Jesus has to tell them about what being the Messiah will really entail. They were looking for a political Messiah who would save them from Roman occupation. Jesus begins to talk about a Messiah who must suffer, die and rise from the dead.
This passage raises issues about our understanding of a “suffering” Messiah. Jesus tells his disciples he must take up his cross, and if willing, they should too—they must lose their lives in order to find them eternally. Is this a path that leads to suffering and death, or is it, as Jesus says, a path that leads to life?
What does it look like for you to “give your life away”? Join us as we reflect on suffering, salvation, and our faith journeys.
Scripture passages: Exodus 3:1-15; Matthew 16:21-28
Please note that we did not have a reading for one passage that is mentioned during the sermon. Click the Exodus link above to read it on your own.
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