Greatness: Matthew 14-20Sample

Last night I was watching a basketball final, and it was a nail-biting finish. The home team was up by two points with only ten seconds to go. The crowd was willing them on, and it felt like they were going to win. They had come back from being behind earlier in the game, and the crowd’s noise was deafening. But then, the captain of the opposing team managed to score a three-point shot, stealing away the victory. The mood in the crowd changed significantly from elation to despondency.

This must have been how Peter felt in today’s passage. Jesus had just told Peter he would be the leader of His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Peter must have been pumped, feeling excited, encouraged, and invincible.

However, today’s passage is not filled with words of victory but rather of defeat. Words like “suffering,” “killed,” “rejected,” “deny,” and “take up your cross.” No wonder Peter was confused and tried to rebuke Jesus. These words don’t sound like the game plan that was just laid out. But Peter was thinking of victory differently. He could not comprehend what Jesus was talking about. Jesus, in turn, rebuked him, saying, “You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of man” (Matthew 16:23, ESV).

We know the story, so we know that Jesus does prevail. He endured the cross and death for our sins and rose again to life. But maybe, like Peter, we also need to be reminded that God’s way is not the way of this world or what we might expect.

Today, ponder this: Are there things in your life or beliefs that are more the way of the world than God’s way? What does it mean for you to take up your cross and follow Jesus today?