Sacrifice

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.
Matt 16:24-25 (NIV)

The path from apathy to advocacy is really the path of discipleship to Jesus. Jesus came near to God’s people, he loved them, wept for them, and gave His life for them. He is the ultimate example of advocacy. Since Jesus is our example, it is inescapable that our own path to advocacy will include sacrifice.

As Jesus said “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.”

In this passage, Peter had just resisted the idea that Jesus would give up his life, and Jesus shocks us as he responds in the strongest possible terms–Jesus turned to Peter and addressed him in this way: “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” (Matt. 16:23)

Peter was advocating for a path towards God’s kingdom that does not pass through sacrifice, but this was not Jesus’ way, and it will not be our way. We should understand from this passage that our efforts at becoming Godly advocates without leading lives of sacrifice are driven by “human concerns.” Rather, we are called on a path, closely bound to Jesus, carrying our crosses together, and seeking the “concerns of God” for justice and righteousness.

Exercise:

Reflect on the following questions. What crosses do you avoid carrying? How do you find yourself trying to love others in ways that don’t cost you anything? When have you found the grace to extend costly love to others?