Ah, religion. It's pretty little walls hold us in tight with its rules and regulations. We like the safety of knowing; the list where we can check all the boxes. Religion all neat and tidy luring us in with its way of life that will lead to safety and good tidings. It feels safe in the arms of religion. There is no questioning or doubting what the rules are. We can easily get into the routine of religion. Be good. Be nice. Speak kindly. Don't sin. Dress up and go to church on Sunday. It's easy. Known. Comfortable.
But...
Jesus didn't live for safety. Jesus didn't play within the confines of the rules. Jesus was a risk taker. Jesus did not hang out in the safety of the four walls that religion provides. Jesus didn't walk with the religious elite. Jesus walked with the outcasts. Jesus challenged the religious elite. Jesus ran towards danger. Not away.
Religion will keep you safe.
Jesus will get you killed.
'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 16:22-27
Peter wanted Jesus to run. Jesus had just told his disciples that he was going to die. This did not sit well with Peter. Peter could not see the whole picture. He didn't want his beloved friend to leave him forever. I think all of us can relate to Peter's anguish and each of us would probably beg Jesus to run away too. But, Jesus knew what he had to do. He knew he had to carry his cross on his back up that hill to be crucified. Jesus knew no religion could save him; that he must do the will of the Father for the betterment of man-kind. Jesus knew in that moment that Peter must get behind him so he could fulfill the Lord's plans. He knew he had to run from safety into the arms of death in order that we may live.
Religion will not save you. Religion ultimately will not keep you safe as safe as it may seem. While religion may give you the warm fuzzies and the confines of its rules and regulations may make you feel protected like a baby in his crib, it does nothing for your soul.
Jesus understood this wholly and completely. He knew religion could not save. The only thing that could save was his death.
Knowing Jesus, following Jesus, means we have to die. Things must be killed off in our lives in order to be free and live fully. Following Jesus will cost us but the gain we experience will far outweigh that cost.
We like religion because oftentimes, it doesn't require us to give anything up. Religion does not ask us to eliminate comforts in our lives. Religion gives us boundaries and neat little lives. It does not ask us to take up our cross and carry it up the hill for sacrifice.
Following Jesus will require things to die in our lives. Things we think we need and cannot live without may have to go when we say yes to him. That's a scary thought. We like our neat and tidy lives. We like our safety. How often do we talk about keeping ourselves and our children safe? What scares us most about the news being reported on TV? The sense of danger this world poses on our lives. We don't like feeling vulnerable. But, that's exactly where Jesus calls us to live.
Peter knew the fate of Jesus and he did not want any part. He wanted to live happily ever after on the run with his beloved friend. I would too. Thankfully, Jesus knew better and followed through on a decision that we cannot even fathom: the call to death.
We are running from this call; the call to let some things die in our lives. We are so scared to let go because we don't know what is on the other side. So, instead of facing our fears and picking up our cross, we run the other way never experiencing the fullness of Christ's love for us. When we don't experience that death in our lives, when we run, we don't get to experience the resurrection. We cannot have the raising of Christ without his death. We cannot have redemption without condemnation. The pain gives way to life.
It is time we stop living in the safe confines of our religion and start truly living for Christ. It is time to allow some things to die in order that we may truly live. The cross will feel heavy. The road up the hill is long and treacherous. But, the view from the top of the mountain is breath-taking. Don't miss it because you want to be safe for safety is an illusion. Jesus knew that in order to have life, eternal life, he must die. That's the good news of the Gospel.
My safety does not reside in rules or religion. My safety resides in my Savior who knew dying led to living.
'Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?' Matthew 16:24-26
Love & Blessings,
Meg
But...
Jesus didn't live for safety. Jesus didn't play within the confines of the rules. Jesus was a risk taker. Jesus did not hang out in the safety of the four walls that religion provides. Jesus didn't walk with the religious elite. Jesus walked with the outcasts. Jesus challenged the religious elite. Jesus ran towards danger. Not away.
Religion will keep you safe.
Jesus will get you killed.
'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 16:22-27
Peter wanted Jesus to run. Jesus had just told his disciples that he was going to die. This did not sit well with Peter. Peter could not see the whole picture. He didn't want his beloved friend to leave him forever. I think all of us can relate to Peter's anguish and each of us would probably beg Jesus to run away too. But, Jesus knew what he had to do. He knew he had to carry his cross on his back up that hill to be crucified. Jesus knew no religion could save him; that he must do the will of the Father for the betterment of man-kind. Jesus knew in that moment that Peter must get behind him so he could fulfill the Lord's plans. He knew he had to run from safety into the arms of death in order that we may live.
Religion will not save you. Religion ultimately will not keep you safe as safe as it may seem. While religion may give you the warm fuzzies and the confines of its rules and regulations may make you feel protected like a baby in his crib, it does nothing for your soul.
Jesus understood this wholly and completely. He knew religion could not save. The only thing that could save was his death.
Knowing Jesus, following Jesus, means we have to die. Things must be killed off in our lives in order to be free and live fully. Following Jesus will cost us but the gain we experience will far outweigh that cost.
We like religion because oftentimes, it doesn't require us to give anything up. Religion does not ask us to eliminate comforts in our lives. Religion gives us boundaries and neat little lives. It does not ask us to take up our cross and carry it up the hill for sacrifice.
Following Jesus will require things to die in our lives. Things we think we need and cannot live without may have to go when we say yes to him. That's a scary thought. We like our neat and tidy lives. We like our safety. How often do we talk about keeping ourselves and our children safe? What scares us most about the news being reported on TV? The sense of danger this world poses on our lives. We don't like feeling vulnerable. But, that's exactly where Jesus calls us to live.
Peter knew the fate of Jesus and he did not want any part. He wanted to live happily ever after on the run with his beloved friend. I would too. Thankfully, Jesus knew better and followed through on a decision that we cannot even fathom: the call to death.
We are running from this call; the call to let some things die in our lives. We are so scared to let go because we don't know what is on the other side. So, instead of facing our fears and picking up our cross, we run the other way never experiencing the fullness of Christ's love for us. When we don't experience that death in our lives, when we run, we don't get to experience the resurrection. We cannot have the raising of Christ without his death. We cannot have redemption without condemnation. The pain gives way to life.
It is time we stop living in the safe confines of our religion and start truly living for Christ. It is time to allow some things to die in order that we may truly live. The cross will feel heavy. The road up the hill is long and treacherous. But, the view from the top of the mountain is breath-taking. Don't miss it because you want to be safe for safety is an illusion. Jesus knew that in order to have life, eternal life, he must die. That's the good news of the Gospel.
My safety does not reside in rules or religion. My safety resides in my Savior who knew dying led to living.
'Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?' Matthew 16:24-26
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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