Luke 9:22-25 NRSVue
22“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.”
23Then he said to them all, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. 25For what does it profit them if they gain the whole world but lose or forfeit themselves?
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Reflection on Luke 9:22-25
Inspiration from 2025-03-06 Daily Prayer
Jesus would have been familiar with the account of the suffering servant in Isaiah 52. Knowing that he was destined to suffer and be killed must have been a heavy burden to carry. We can talk to him about this and ask for some of his courage in facing our own crosses.
A disciple cannot be above his/her Master. As Christ suffered, so will those who follow him, but the suffering will be different and unique to each one. As writer Alan Jones put it, ‘Life is about being dispossessed of everything so that we might possess everything.’ We have to lose the false life that is centred on our ego. We pray for insight and the courage to accept our crosses.
Further reflection
The gospel is unambiguous - suffering and self-displacement are the hallmarks of a disciple. Jesus goes the way of the cross. He does not hoard his life, even though living must have had a special quality for him. I am called not to hoard my life, but to live generously.
Lord, what you call me to is radical and counter- cultural. Without your grace I will be a mean person. I will be self-seeking, always looking out for my own benefit. Help me to let go of that sort of life. May I learn to accept life in a loving spirit as you did. Only so will I be a source of good to others.