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| Gozzoli, "Francis" |
“Where are your thoughts?”
“What were you thinking?”
It’s not that I wasn’t. It’s that I was thinking of myself, of what I wanted.
I was ashamed to tell him what I was thinking—because if I had it would’ve revealed how warped my mind was. And a warped mind in the presence of a true mind is very easy to notice. I hid myself because I was ashamed.
Notice how Peter approaches Jesus, not openly or publicly the way you would if you were confident in the righteousness of your cause. If going to Jerusalem is such a bad idea, make it known. Well, perhaps he was just trying to spare Jesus the embarrassment of publicly disagreeing with his plan. No. Jesus tells us clearly.
Jesus doesn’t say, “Thanks, Peter, for sparing me the public humiliation of rebuking me in front of everyone.” Peter conceals his opposition.
Jesus lays claim to his—and our—thoughts, publicly.
“You’re thinking,” he says, “not as God does but as people do.”
“What were you thinking?”
Does God really have a claim on my thoughts? Jesus says it himself. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
We don’t get a moment’s rest ever from loving God, even with our thoughts.
Could you use a "vacation"? How about a vacation? Don't you "wish" you could.
Paragraph 2: Vacations
Paragraph 3: Wishes, "Whoever wishes to come after me..."
it's "schizophrenia" to mind god & love our neighbor"
9/8/2021
Theme:
Self-denial, bearing your own cross are pre-requisites to following Jesus.
Did any follower of Jesus ever promote exclusively himself, rejecting altogether his own cross?
The one who loses his life for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel saves it.
Peter illustrates what not to do—this part of his tale is cautionary: take Jesus aside, rebuke him. Your thoughts are not as God, but as of men. Publicly reproached. For our benefit. Your thoughts don’t even get to swerve from God’s path—your people depend on their not swerving. Jesus sees to it.
Don’t entertain devious, selfish thoughts. Ponder the law of the Lord day and night.
Whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.
9/8/2021
Theme:
Self-denial, bearing your own cross are pre-requisites to following Jesus.
Did any follower of Jesus ever promote exclusively himself, rejecting altogether his own cross?
The one who loses his life for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel saves it.
Peter illustrates what not to do—this part of his tale is cautionary: take Jesus aside, rebuke him. Your thoughts are not as God, but as of men. Publicly reproached. For our benefit. Your thoughts don’t even get to swerve from God’s path—your people depend on their not swerving. Jesus sees to it.
Don’t entertain devious, selfish thoughts. Ponder the law of the Lord day and night.
Whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.
