August 28, 2005  Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Zumbro Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minnesota

Matthew 16:21-28               Pastor Gary E. Benson

 

       “Denial, Detours, and Discipleship”

In preparation for worship this summer, we have had numerous Sundays when we have had a brief hymn sing. We have chosen the classic familiar hymns we love to sing – “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “How Great Thou Art,” “Amazing Grace,” and the list goes on. It is good, refreshing, and renewing to enjoy those hymns we know so well, isn’t it? You really got into it, I think.

 

Beyond the familiar hymns, don’t we also love to hear the familiar good news, “Jesus loves you/me, forgives me, and has promised to be with me!”  The certainty of God’s love, power, promises, and presence is foundational to who and whose we are.  Furthermore, we joyously proclaim in this place, “Jesus is the way, the truth, the life!” Or, I love to hear the words of Jesus, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly!”  Indeed through the spoken word, liturgy, and song don’t we all appreciate the affirmation and certainty of our understanding and belief in God? 

 

Furthermore, I think of this past week, and confirmation orientation for 7^th graders.    Wednesday evening I shared the joy and rich reward one can claim when you walk with and teach young people and seek to nurture the gift of faith that they were blessed with at baptism.  However, (and it is a bold however), after the good news of the joys of confirmation, the young people and parents look in the red confirmation orientation booklet and see the expectations: sermon notes, service hours, class. At that point, oftentimes, the enthusiasm is tempered.

 

Or, as the worshipping people of God today, on the one hand we know the good news of Jesus, but then we hear the challenging truth of today’s Gospel lesson, “Those who want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me!”

 

Wow, after the comforting, not so difficult invitation to affirm the positive and familiar in worship, word and song, how do you hear and respond to words of Jesus calling for “denying oneself?”

 

After all, aren’t we living in a “have it our way” culture?  We want to choose and pick everything, from all the ingredients on our sandwiches, to options on our car, or for many at this time of year classes you have to take.  Bottom line, we want control, a say, or indeed life is miserable and chaos!

 

Into the arena of choices and options, Jesus says, “Those who would be my disciples (be blessed to be a blessing) must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.”  Does that call for self denial sound freeing, inviting, encouraging, and supportive? …..  Oftentimes not! When we claim only the way of the world or our culture, our human selfishness and resourcefulness, indeed such language of denial/discipleship becomes an imprisonment of captivity and rules -- “do’s and don’ts” -- and for many such is not an option, it is simply too difficult of a path to follow, and life detours into self seeking and self fulfillment. 

You, however, are people of denial, often when you hear such words you would hear them as negative. Today, however, “to be in denial” is a good thing. And what are we going to be in denial about?

 

We are in denial of the world’s message that simply “having it our way” is the best way.  We are in denial that in our human resourcefulness we will find “the way, the truth, and the life.” We are in denial of the message that having faith in the God who created, claims and loves us doesn’t matter. We are in denial that we ought to simply hoard all the gifts that God has given to us to bolster our own feelings of security and comfort.

 

In that regard, a number of years ago my relative, Bob, (40 something) was riding around the suburbs of Chicago in his business vehicle. For years he had thought little or nothing about the faith in which he had been raised, the Jesus to whom he had been introduced to as a child.  For years he didn’t go to worship.  Without question, he was a fine person, yet he was in denial about things that God would have him be and be about. Then, however, simply a moment in his life he will never forget, he said, “While at a stop sign sitting in the van, suddenly I thought; “Is this all there is?  Work, spend money, live and die. What is really the purpose?” That “grace moment” was about five years ago. Today Bob’s life is a mission – a witness; life is not simply about filling his day, but fulfilling God’s will through him daily. Now besides regular worship, he is literally on a mission supporting and participating in feeding the hungry in Chicago. Indeed, Bob went from denial to discipleship. It is a blessing just to listen to him talk about how God is working through his life each day.

 

Jesus said, “Those who would follow me -- who would be my disciples -- must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow!”  Daily we are free to choose … to choose simply our own human resourcefulness for comfort, consolation, and in so doing deny Christ. Or secondly, we are free “to deny ourselves” to choose “freedom in Christ,” and to then be lifted up and blessed by Jesus Christ who was lifted up on a tree, on a cross, in order that, as scripture says, “All who believe in him might have life and have it abundantly.”

 

Remember clearly,  to “deny oneself” is not to become less a person or to lose control, but to allow God’s grace and spirit through us in order that “even amidst the denials, detours and difficulties – in all of life,” we can be the strong and purposeful children of God we are created to be -- in thought, word, and deed. Then we will affirm, as the Apostle Paul, “I can do/endure all things through Christ who strengthens me – guides, inspires, directs.”

 

It is living in the freedom and tension of a comforting, joyful and challenging Gospel, in the language of the Apostle Paul, therein, we will rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer. There is no denying it, no way around it, no detour. Such is discipleship!