From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Matthew 16:21-27 NIVUK
Last year my daughter passed an interview for the cult Filipino fast food restaurant Jollibee when they opened their new branch in Glasgow. In the end, she was unable to accept the job. However, what she found out ther really surprised us.
You see, this restaurant has a huge Filipino following. We knew that. We had been to some of their branches overseas that operated almost as a de facto Filipino embassy, as so many of them gathered there.
However, what we did not expect was the lengths that some Jollibee fans go to in order to eat in the restaurants as soon as they open.
We were stunned to hear that there are people who travel from across Europe, spending on flights and hotels, to then queue outside up to five hours before the restaurant opens, just to be among the first to taste their burgers and fries, or hamburger steak, or spaghetti or fried chicken and rice. It astounded us that anyone could be that devoted to fast food.
But then, in Europe, nothing like that should really surprise us.
You see, we have friends who are members of the Tartan Army – the Scottish national football team’s official supporters. They spend thousands of pounds each year following their team to places you would really not expect them to go. This year, for example, they will go to Spain, France, Cyprus, Norway and Georgia. They’ve even been to far flung places like Eastern Turkey (close to the border with Iran), Moldova and Kazakhstan!
You might think that these are just rich playboys with more money than sense. However, these people are often just regular guys who work hard and save up just to follow their team, because football and all that surrounds it is basically their life.
We can admire the loyalty and tenacity of such fans. However, they are nothing compared to the loyalty, tenacity and risk-taking faith of those who follow Jesus Christ.
In 2021, five thousand six hundred Christians were martyred, six thousand were detained or arrested and more than four thousand were kidnapped, with three hundred and sixty million Christians living in countries where persecuting for their faith is severe, according to Open Doors. Following Christ isn’t easy and takes a lot of courage and faith.
But let me tell you, it is the most rewarding thing you can ever or will ever do. There is nothing quite like it on earth. The risks are very high, yes, but the rewards far outstrip them and are eternal.
In the West, we have grown comfortable. Most of us do not face any form of persecution. We are isolated from the reality of what it takes to follow Jesus, and many of us have forgotten what it really means.
It isn’t a commitment to turn up to church on a Sunday. It isn’t just being baptised, or giving to missions or the church, or helping the needy now and then. It isn’t even ‘being a nice person’.
There is so much more to it than that.
And it’s this that we will now explore.
Let’s start by looking at the cost of following Jesus, starting with what it really means to deny ourselves.
Questions
1. What does it mean to you to follow Jesus?
2. What do you think is the cost of following Him, for you?
3. What are the rewards? Why are they so much greater than the cost?
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