The Reward of Discipleship

The Reward of Discipleship

In Mark 8:36-38, we see how Jesus contrasts the value of the world and the value of the soul, and how He warns those who are ashamed of Him and His words, and implies the reward for those who are not ashamed of Him and His words.

Verse 36 says, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Verse 37 says, “Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” These are two rhetorical questions that imply that gaining the whole world is worthless if one forfeits one’s soul, and that nothing can be given in exchange for one’s soul.

The world is the system, the culture, the mindset, that is opposed to God, that is influenced by Satan, that is corrupted by sin. The world offers us many things, many pleasures, many treasures, many honors, many powers. The world tempts us to pursue these things, to enjoy these things, to worship these things. The world promises us happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment, security. The world tells us that these things are valuable, important, essential, ultimate.

But Jesus tells us that these things are not valuable, not important, not essential, not ultimate. At least, not to the extent we think they are. He tells us that these things are temporary, fleeting, fading, perishing. He tells us that these things can be deceptive, dangerous, destructive, deadly. He tells us that these things are not worth gaining, not worth keeping, not worth living for, not worth dying for. He tells us that these things are not worth losing our soul for.

The soul is the essence, the core, the center, of who we are. The soul is made in God’s image, reflects God’s glory, connects with God’s spirit. The soul is eternal, immortal, indestructible. The soul is precious, priceless, invaluable, irreplaceable. The soul is worth saving, worth keeping.

Jesus tells us that the soul is more valuable than the world, more valuable than anything in the world, more valuable than everything in the world. He tells us that the soul matters, the thing that lasts. He tells us that gaining or maintaining the soul is the reward of discipleship, the reward of following Him, the reward of losing our life for Him and for the gospel.

 

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your precious words that teach us the value of our soul and the vanity of the world. Help us to follow You faithfully, to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to lose our life for You and for the gospel. Help us to not be ashamed of You and Your words, but to confess You before others, to share Your love and truth, to glorify Your name. Help us to not be deceived by the world, by its temptations, by its promises, by its values. Help us to not love the world or the things in the world, but to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help us to not forfeit our soul for anything in the world, but to gain or maintain our soul by Your grace and power. You are more precious than anything, more worthy than everything, more beautiful than anyone. You are our treasure, our reward, our joy, our life. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

The Call to Discipleship

Mark 8: 34-35, sees Jesus inviting anyone who wants to follow Him to take three steps.

Verse 34 says, “Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'”

This is a radical invitation for anyone who wants to follow Jesus. It is not an easy invitation, or a comfortable invitation, or a popular invitation. It is a costly invitation, a demanding invitation, a challenging invitation. It is an invitation that requires three steps: deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him.

To deny themselves means to renounce their own desires, plans, and ambitions, and to submit to God’s will and authority. It means to say no to themselves, and to say yes to God. It means to give up their own rights, privileges, and preferences for the sake of Christ, and to give in to God’s commands, purposes, and promises. It means to put God first, and themselves last. It means to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love their neighbors as themselves.

To take up their cross means to accept the suffering, persecution, and sacrifice that may come with following Christ, and to identify with His death and resurrection. It means to bear the pain, the shame, and the burden of the cross, and to share in the joy, the glory, and the power of the resurrection. It means to die to themselves, to their sin, to their pride, to their fear, and to live for Christ, for His righteousness, for His grace, for His love. It means to follow the way of the cross, the way of humility, the way of service, the way of love.

To follow Him means to imitate His example, obey His commands, and trust His promises. It means to learn from Him, to listen to Him, and to love Him. It means to walk with Him, to work with Him, and to worship Him. It means to be His disciple, His friend, His partner. It means to be His witness, His ambassador, His representative. It means to be like Him in His character, in His actions, in His words.

These three steps are not optional, selective, or occasional. They are essential, comprehensive, and continual. They are not only for the first century, or for the apostles, or for the martyrs. They are for every century, for every believer, for every follower. They are not only for the hard times, or for special occasions, or for extraordinary situations. They are for every time, for every day, for every situation. They are the call to discipleship.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for inviting us to follow You, and for showing us the way of discipleship. We confess that we often fail to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to follow You. We ask You to forgive us, and to renew our commitment to You.

Help us, Lord, to renounce our own desires, plans, and ambitions, and to submit to Your will and authority. Help us to say no to ourselves, and to say yes to You. Help us to give up our own rights, privileges, and preferences for Your sake, and to give in to Your commands, purposes, and promises. Help us to put You first, and ourselves last. Help us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Help us, Lord, to accept the suffering, persecution, and sacrifice that may come with following You, and to identify with Your death and resurrection. Help us to bear the pain, the shame, and the burden of the cross, and to share in the joy, the glory, and the power of the resurrection. Help us to die to ourselves, to our sin, to our pride, to our fear, and to live for You, for Your righteousness, for Your grace, for Your love. Help us to follow the way of the cross, the way of humility, the way of service, the way of love.

Help us, Lord, to imitate Your example, obey Your commands, and trust Your promises. Help us to learn from You, to listen to You, and to love You. Help us to walk with You, to work with You, and to worship You. Help us to be Your disciple, Your friend, Your partner. Help us to be Your witness, Your ambassador, Your representative. Help us to be like You in Your character, in Your actions, in Your words.

We thank You, Lord, for the privilege and the responsibility of following You. We thank You for the grace and the power that You give us to do so. We thank You for the reward and the glory that You have prepared for us in Your kingdom. We pray all this in Your name. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

The Cost of Discipleship

In Mark 8:31, Jesus “began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again.”

This is a shocking statement for the disciples. Peter had just confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of God, the one who will restore Israel’s glory and deliverance. They have seen His miracles, His authority, His popularity. They have followed Him with excitement, hope, and anticipation. They have expected Him to be a powerful, victorious, and triumphant leader.

But now, Jesus tells them that He must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again. He tells them that He is not only the Messiah, but also the Son of Man, a title that refers to His humanity, His humility, and His destiny. He tells them that He is fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah and Daniel, that He is the suffering servant who will bear the sins of the world, and the glorious king who will rule over the nations. He tells them that He is following God’s will, God’s plan, and God’s purpose for His life.

But Peter does not understand this. He does not accept this. He does not agree with this. Verse 32 says, “He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.” Peter thinks that Jesus is making a mistake, that He is being deceived, that He is discouraged. Peter thinks that he knows better than Jesus, that he can correct Him, that he can advise Him. Peter thinks that Jesus is the Messiah who will restore Israel’s glory, not the suffering servant who will die for the sins of the world.

But Jesus does not tolerate this. He does not appreciate this. He does not listen to this. Verse 33 says, “But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.'” Jesus rebukes Peter and exposes his human perspective. He calls him Satan, a name that means adversary, enemy, or accuser. He tells him that he is not helping Him, but hindering Him, that he is not supporting Him, but opposing Him, that he is not speaking for God, but for the world. He tells him that he is not setting his mind on divine things, but on human things.

Following Jesus involves a cost, a cost that we may not understand, a cost that we may not like, a cost that we may not want. Following Jesus means following His example, His mission, His will, even if it means suffering, rejection, death. Following Jesus means setting our mind on divine things, not on human things, even if it means going against our own desires, plans, and ambitions.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we come before You today, humbled and contrite, recognizing the cost of true discipleship. We acknowledge that following You is not about seeking earthly glory or success, but about embracing a life of humility, suffering, and ultimately, resurrection. We confess that our human desires and ambitions often clash with Your divine will, leading us astray.

We pray for the strength to follow Your example, to take up our cross daily, and to deny ourselves in the pursuit of righteousness. We ask for the wisdom to understand that our sacrifices and sufferings are not in vain, but are part of Your divine plan to redeem the world.

Lord, we are not afraid of the cost of discipleship. We are willing to be rejected, to be misunderstood, and even to be called by names that might hurt us. For we know that in Your eyes, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

We pray for the courage to embrace the suffering servant role You have called us to, to bear the sins of the world, and to be a beacon of hope and redemption. We ask for the grace to fulfill our mission with integrity and passion, trusting in Your promise that those who lose their lives for Your sake will find them.

We commit ourselves to Your service, to live out the paradox of gaining and losing life for Your sake. We pray for the eternal significance of following You faithfully, trusting that our faithfulness will not be in vain.

May Your grace be with us, Lord, as we set our minds on divine things, not on human things. May we be faithful to Your call, even when it means walking a path that is difficult and fraught with challenges.

In Your name, we pray. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

Power of the cross

We acknowledge the power of the cross, the victory of Christ over sin and death, and the freedom we have in Him. Paul tells us in Colossians 2:15 that by His death on the cross, Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities that opposed Him and His people. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Paul refers to both the human and the spiritual forces that were hostile to God and God’s purposes. The human rulers, such as Herod, Caesar, Pilate, and the Jewish leaders, who conspired to crucify Jesus, thinking they could silence Him and His message. The spiritual rulers of the dark world who influenced the human rulers and tried to thwart God’s plan of salvation. These powers and authorities were enemies of God and God’s people, and they seemed to have the upper hand.

But Paul reveals the hidden truth: by the cross, Jesus exposed their weakness and defeated their schemes. He stripped them of their power and authority and shamed them publicly. He triumphed over them by the cross, not by the sword. He conquered them by His love, not by force. He liberated us from their bondage, not by might, but by His grace.

We can live in the freedom and joy of Christ, knowing that He has overcome the world and its rulers. We can resist the temptation and deception of the evil one, knowing that he has been disarmed and disgraced. It means that we can trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God, knowing that God has the final say over all things.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your amazing love and grace that led You to the cross. We praise You for Your victory over sin and death, and for Your power over the powers and authorities that opposed You and Your people. You have disarmed them and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Help us to live in the freedom and joy that You have purchased for us. Help us to resist the temptation and deception of the evil one, who has been defeated and disgraced. Help us to trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God, who has the final say over all things.

We pray that You would fill us with Your Spirit and enable us to follow You in obedience and faithfulness. We pray that You would use us to share Your gospel and Your love with others, and to advance Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

We pray all this in Your name, amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

Agony on the cross

The crucifixion of Jesus was not only a physical torture, but also a psychological torment. He had to endure the sight of His own bleeding body, the sound of His own gasping breath, the feeling of His own failing strength. He had to face the reality of being forsaken. He had to hear the mockery of his enemies, the silence of His friends, the cry of His mother. He had to bear the sin of the world amid the perceived wrath of God.

But in the midst of His agony, He did not lose His faith, His love, or His purpose. He trusted in His Father, who would raise Him from the dead. He prayed for His persecutors, who did not know what they were doing. He fulfilled His mission, which was to save the lost. He uttered final words of forgiveness, surrender, and victory.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross. You endured the worst pain and suffering imaginable, yet You did not give up on us. You showed us the depth of Your love and the power of Your grace. You accomplished what we could never do: You paid the price for our sins and opened the way to eternal life.

We ask You to help us remember Your agony whenever we face our own trials and temptations. Help us to trust in Your Father, who loves us and has a plan for us. Help us to pray for those who hurt us and forgive them as You forgave. Help us to fulfill Your purpose for our lives and share Your gospel with others. Help us to declare with You: “It is finished!”

We praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your victory over death and sin. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. You are the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. You are our Savior and our Lord. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

What the cross reveals

God’s revelation is not a static doctrine, but a dynamic event. God’s revelation is not a clear proposition, but a paradoxical mystery. God’s revelation is not a comfortable affirmation, but a radical challenge. God’s revelation is the cross of Jesus, who showed us the truth of God’s love and justice in the midst of suffering and evil.

The cross of Jesus invites us to rethink our ways of knowing and living. The cross exposes our false assumptions, biases, and prejudices that distort our perception of reality. The cross calls us to “call the thing what it actually is,” to name and confront the injustice, oppression, and violence that afflict our world. It empowers us to know ethically, to seek and practice God’s will for the common good of all creation. The cross connects us with others, especially those who are marginalized, excluded, and silenced by the dominant systems of power. It inspires us to be in solidarity with the liberation movements that share the same vision and values of God’s reign.

The cross of Jesus challenges us to be faithful and responsible disciples of Christ. It reveals God’s grace, which forgives us and frees us from our sin and guilt; God’s mission, which commissions us and sends us to be God’s agents of change and transformation; and God’s hope, which sustains us and assures us of God’s presence and power in our lives.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, in the light of Your cross, I come before You today, seeking Your guidance and strength. Your sacrifice on the cross is not just a historical event, but a living reality that shapes and transforms our lives. It reveals Your love for us in the most profound and sacrificial way, challenging us to embrace the truth of Your grace and justice.

Inspired by the mystery and paradox of Your revelation, I ask for a deeper understanding of Your will for my life. Help me to see beyond the surface of things, to discern the truth hidden beneath the appearances of the world. Let me learn to name the injustices and oppressions that afflict our world, to confront them with the power of Your truth and love.

May Your cross empower me to live in solidarity with those who are marginalized and silenced, to stand with them in the struggle for justice and equality. Grant me the courage to be a voice for the voiceless, to advocate for the common good of all creation.

Lord, as I reflect on Your words from the cross, “It is finished,” I am reminded of Your mission accomplished and Your promise of eternal life. In the midst of my struggles and uncertainties, I find comfort in Your assurance that You have completed Your work for me. Forgive me for any doubt I may have, and help me to accept Your grace and mercy with humility and gratitude.

Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to You, trusting in Your promise that You will give me strength for the challenges ahead. May I live each day for Your glory, embodying Your love and justice in all I do. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

Mystery of the cross

The cross of Christ is the mystery of our faith and the paradox of our world. It reveals to us the true nature of God, who died and lives, who suffers and saves, who hides and shows. It also challenges us to interpret the cross in our own context, and to recognize the limitations of our knowledge and the possibilities of God’s grace.

Vitor Westhelle helps us to understand this by using the analogy of the Shabbat, the Jewish-Christian tradition of resting on the seventh day. He says that the Shabbat is a sign of God’s work of creation and redemption, which is both finished and ongoing, both revealed and concealed. He also says that the Shabbat is a time of faith desiring, which is a way of seeking God’s presence and purpose in the midst of the world, which is both broken and beautiful, both fallen and redeemed.

Like Westhelle, we should recognize that God is both hidden and revealed in the cross, and that we can only know God by faith, not by reason. We are to resist the temptation of reducing the cross to a single meaning or a simple formula, and to explore the multiple dimensions and implications of the cross for our lives and our world. We are to live as interpreters of the cross, and to share the mystery of God’s love and suffering with others.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

In the depths of Your sacrifice, You reveal the profound mystery of Your faith. Your cross, the paradox of our world, is a testament to Your divine love and sacrifice. It is the symbol of Your death and resurrection, Your suffering and salvation, Your hiddenness and revelation.

We acknowledge the challenge to interpret the cross in our own context, recognizing the limitations of our understanding and the boundless possibilities of God’s grace. Like Vitor Westhelle, we see in the Shabbat a reflection of God’s work of creation and redemption, both finished and ongoing, both revealed and concealed. It is a time of faith, a yearning for Your presence and purpose in the midst of the world, both broken and beautiful, both fallen and redeemed.

We understand that in the cross, God is both hidden and revealed, known only by faith, not by reason. We resist the temptation to reduce the cross to a single meaning or a simple formula, choosing instead to explore its multiple dimensions and implications for our lives and our world. We live as interpreters of the cross, sharing the mystery of Your love and suffering with others.

Grant us the wisdom to understand the mystery of the cross, to unite our suffering with Your suffering, and to seek Your presence and purpose in the midst of our world. May we live in faith, yearning for Your grace, and sharing Your love with all.

In Your name, we pray. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

Familiarity of the cross

The cross was not a surprise to Jesus. He knew what it meant to live under the oppression of the Roman Empire, which ruled by fear and violence. He saw the crosses that lined the roads of Galilee, where thousands of rebels were executed as a warning to anyone who dared to challenge the authority of Caesar. He heard the cries of the dying, the weeping of the mourning, the curses of the angry. He felt the pain of the oppressed, the despair of the hopeless, the hunger of the poor.

But Jesus did not let the cross deter him. He did not succumb to hatred, resentment, or rebellion. He sought to overcome evil with good. He did not preach a message of vengeance, but of forgiveness. He did not promise a worldly kingdom, but a heavenly one. He did not avoid the cross but embraced it.

For Jesus knew that the cross was not the end, but the beginning. He knew that the cross was not a defeat, but a victory. He knew that the cross was not a curse, but a blessing. He knew that the cross was not a sign of God’s absence, but of God’s presence. He knew that the cross was not a symbol of death, but of life.

 

Prayer

Lord God, we thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly bore the cross for our sake. We praise You for His courage, His compassion, and His obedience. We marvel at His love, His grace, and His power. We confess that we often fail to appreciate the magnitude of His sacrifice, the depth of His suffering, and the glory of His resurrection. Forgive us, Lord, for our indifference, our ingratitude, and our unfaithfulness.

Help us, Lord, to follow the example of Jesus, who did not let the cross deter Him from fulfilling Your will. Help us to overcome evil with good, to forgive those who hurt us, and to seek Your kingdom above all else. Help us to embrace the cross as a sign of Your presence, Your blessing, and Your life. Help us to trust in Your promises, to rely on Your strength, and to hope in Your victory.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

Paradox of the cross

The cross of Jesus Christ was a paradox. It was the most shameful and cursed death that anyone could suffer, yet it was also the most glorious and blessed event that anyone could witness. It was the ultimate display of human sin and evil, yet it was also the ultimate display of God’s grace and love. It was the end of all hope and expectation, yet it was also the beginning of all faith and revelation.

The early Christians understood this paradox by the power of the Holy Spirit, who opened their eyes to see the true meaning of the cross. They saw that the cross was not a sign of defeat, but of victory. They saw that the cross was not a sign of weakness but of strength. They saw that the cross was not a sign of condemnation but of salvation. They saw that the cross was not a sign of separation but of reconciliation.

They also understood that the cross had profound implications for God, the world, Israel, and humanity. They realized that the cross revealed God’s character and purpose, justice and mercy, holiness and love, wrath and grace. They realized that the cross changed the world’s order and destiny, its values and powers, its systems and structures, its cultures and nations. They realized that the cross fulfilled Israel’s story and mission, its promises and prophecies, its law and covenant, its temple and worship. They realized that the cross transformed the human condition and identity, its sin and guilt, its death and decay, its alienation and hostility, its image and glory.


Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We praise You for the cross of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the paradox of all paradoxes. We thank You for the mystery and the majesty, the wonder and the wisdom, the glory and the grace of the cross. We confess that we cannot fully comprehend or appreciate the depth and the breadth, the height and the length, the beauty and the power of the cross. But we ask You to open our eyes, our ears, our hearts, and our minds to receive and respond to the revelation of the cross.

We acknowledge that the cross was the most shameful and cursed death that anyone could suffer, yet it was also the most glorious and blessed event that anyone could witness. We admit that we deserve the wrath and the judgment, the pain and the suffering, the shame and the curse of the cross. But we rejoice that You have given us the grace and the mercy, the peace and the joy, the honor and the blessing of the cross.

We affirm that the cross was the ultimate display of human sin and evil, yet it was also the ultimate display of Your grace and love. We repent of our rebellion and our wickedness, our pride and our selfishness, our hatred and our violence that nailed Your Son to the cross. But we celebrate Your forgiveness and Your righteousness, Your humility and Your generosity, Your love and Your peace that flowed from the cross.

We declare that the cross was the end of all hope and expectation, yet it was also the beginning of all faith and revelation. We mourn the loss and the grief, the darkness and the silence, the despair and the death of the cross. But we embrace the hope and the joy, the light and the life, the faith and the resurrection after the cross.

We testify that the cross was not a sign of defeat, but of victory. We acknowledge that the cross defeated the power and the authority, the schemes and the lies, the works and the dominion of the enemy. But we proclaim that the cross established the kingdom and the reign, the plan and the truth, the deeds and the lordship of Christ.

We confess that the cross was not a sign of weakness but of strength. We recognize that the cross demonstrated the weakness and the frailty, the limitation and the vulnerability of our humanity. But we magnify the strength and the power, the sufficiency and the ability of Your divinity.

We believe that the cross was not a sign of condemnation but of salvation. We realize that the cross bore the sin and the guilt, the curse and the wrath, the penalty and the punishment of our transgression. But we receive the forgiveness and the righteousness, the blessing and the grace, the redemption and the justification of Your salvation.

We rejoice that the cross was not a sign of separation but of reconciliation. We remember that the cross tore the veil and the barrier, the wall and the hostility, the enmity and the division between us and You, and between us and others. But we celebrate the access and the intimacy, the unity and the harmony, the peace and the fellowship that You have given us through the cross.

We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who died on the cross for us, and rose again from the dead, and lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Reward of Discipleship

The shameful cross

The crucifixion of Jesus was the most horrific and humiliating death imaginable. He was whipped, scourged, mocked, and nailed to a wooden cross, exposed to public shame and ridicule. He was hung between two criminals, as if He was the worst of them. He was abandoned by most of His disciples, and even felt forsaken by His Father. He was left to die a slow and agonizing death, while the soldiers gambled for His clothes and the passersby hurled insults at Him.

But what the world saw as a sign of weakness and defeat, God saw as a sign of strength and victory. For Jesus did not die as a helpless victim, but as a willing sacrifice. He did not die as a rebel, but as a redeemer. He did not die as a curse, but as a blessing. He did not die as a sinner, but as a Savior.

For by His death, He paid the price for our sins and set us free from the power of evil. By His death, He fulfilled the prophecies and revealed the love of God. By His death, He opened the way to eternal life and invited us to join Him in His resurrection. By His death, He transformed the cross from a symbol of shame to a symbol of glory.

 

Prayer

Lord God, we thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us. We praise You for Your wisdom and power, that You turned the cross from a shameful instrument of death into a glorious sign of life. We worship You for Your love and grace, that You gave us forgiveness and salvation through the cross. We adore You for Your faithfulness and mercy, that You raised Jesus from the dead and promised us a share in His resurrection.

Lord God, we ask You to help us follow the example of Your Son, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. Help us to bear our own crosses with courage and patience, knowing that You are with us and for us. Help us to share the message of the cross with others, that they may also know the hope and peace that You offer. Help us to live in the light of the cross, that we may always glorify You and honor You.

Lord God, we look forward to the day when we will see Your Son face to face, and worship Him in His glory. We long for the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to Your glory, O God our Father. We pray in the name of Jesus, who died on the cross and rose again. Amen.