Taking up your Cross

Luke 9:18-27

          Today at services a Monk preached about listening to God much as a child listens to a parent. Children must be told over and over many times, God must tell us over and over. God reminds us what he wants us to do, perhaps really, it's what we need to do to be fulfilled as humans and as children of God. When you don't listen to a parent, the result is often punishment of some kind. When you don't listen to God, the result is further reminders. I often say however that when God wants you do something he gently nudges and eventually comes back with a 2x4 to give you the message.  The question of God punishing us though came up in a post service discussion with a friend. She feels God does in fact throw punishments our way. I am not so certain. I do believe that we wind up punishing ourselves when we don't listen. The ultimate punishment for turning away from God is sending ourselves to hell. I don't think God sends us to hell. I think we do that on our own.

            So then what to say to my friend who thinks God throws punishments our way when we refuse to listen or make mistakes (sin).  I still do not believe that God throws punishments our way like some Greek God that likes to toy with us mortals. Life is quite complicated and while I think we bear responsibility for a great deal of torment that winds up coming our way, there is the very true expression that sh#@ just happens. Perhaps some will trace  the evils to that first apple bite. I believe that many of our problems result from a generalized negativism and social sin that we seem willing to engage in. We fail to be attentive to what is important which is the love of God and each other. Heaven knows there are a great many evils in the world caused by not loving ourselves. Many people just cannot accept that they are lovable.

           All these evils that we experience and problems seem to me not so much punishments meted out by God but are crosses to bear, crosses to carry and opportunities to love.  It is our great capacity to love, that noun and verb that is what God really is always throwing our way instead of punishment that can cure all the evils and problems of our world.

           Crosses to bear are not something that we seek or long for. It is accepting life, changing the things we can and above all learning from what is going on. Using everything as an opportunity to love.  No, I do not believe God throws punishments our way. But crosses can be gifts if they are opportunities to learn and love.

         

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’

He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’

Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.’