By: Dale Weckbacher
Mark 8:35
For whoever would
save his life[a] will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
(ESV)
Those with investments in the stock market either from
direct investing or through their retirement plans find themselves on the
rollercoaster ride of market peaks and valleys.
The goal of investing is the achievement of financial gain but that only
comes through riding the peaks and valleys as markets typically show gains over
the long-term requiring patience. The
main theme of the text in Mark
8:34-38 is Jesus reminding His followers that following Him requires taking
up one’s cross and following Him. While
some of those listening to Jesus in this passage would literally take up their
cross and suffer crucifixion for their faith, the symbolism of the cross also
speaks of one suffering persecution and rejection for their faith in
Christ. Just as an investor must have
willingness to commit to staying in the market for the long-term, Christians
must have commitment to continue proclaiming and living their faith even in the
face of persecution, rejection, or even death.
The question every believer in Christ must ask is am I committed enough
to take up my cross and follow Christ.
Do I have the commitment to endure?
1)
Persecution (Matthew
5:10,12) – For a follower of Jesus, persecution indicates one sharing in
the reward of the kingdom of heaven. While
it may mean enduring some pain, this pain is like the pain one investing in financial
markets experiences during a dip in the market.
The choice for the investor is should I keep my money in the market
based upon a history of markets gains over the long-term or pull my money out. For a follower of Christ the choice is should
I endure the persecution knowing I have a great reward in heaven (Acts
7) or go silent about my faith or even reject Christ (Matthew
26:69-75).
2)
Rejection (Matthew
26:47-56) – Jesus is all too familiar with rejection suffering it from His
followers and the religious leaders of His time who should have realized who He
was from Scripture. The religious
leaders were expecting the Messiah to march onto the scene and throw out their
Roman oppressors and establish the Kingdom of God. When this did not occur after Jesus’
triumphal entry on Palm Sunday (Matthew
21:1-11), they believed Jesus was a blasphemer and worthy of death by
crucifixion for instead of throwing out Pilate, Jesus cleansed the Temple (Matthew
21:12-17). What these religious
leaders failed to realize was that while Messiah will establish the Kingdom of
God on earth, he must first suffer death by crucifixion to provide salvation
from sin (Isaiah
53; Psalm 22). Their rejection is
based on failure to observe from Scripture the two comings of Messiah first as
savior and second as conquering King. The
Disciples rejection is due to fear of also suffering death by crucifixion and
loss of friendships. This is the source
of much rejection of Christ today and something people can only overcome with
realization of their eternal reward of eternity with God through a restored
relationship due to the death burial and resurrection of Christ.
3)
Death or punishment (Hebrews
11) – Included with those honored for their faith in Hebrews
11 are those killed or tortured for their faith (Hebrews
11:36-37). This is the highest level
of persecution and rejection and something our Lord is also familiar with. While in many parts of the world, like the
United States, one suffering death or punishment for his or her faith typically
does not occur, increased legal persecution such as Christians losing their livelihood
because of their faith indicates it could occur in the future. While we should pray persecution and
rejection of Christians does not devolve to this level, we must remain
committed to Christ and the Gospel even though it could mean death or
punishment.
Just like an investor investing money, people must invest in
their relationship with their creator through Christ. Like all investments, this investment begins
with one accepting Jesus as their savior and inheriting eternal life (John
3:16). If you have not made this
investment in your life, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, spent
three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord
of my life.
The Christian life is not an easy carefree life of plenty as
some erroneously teach but instead a life of loss. True believers in Jesus as savior give up
their desires, dreams, and wishes and take up the cross of Christ and follow Him. The reward of this decision is one inheriting
the kingdom of God and eternal life (Matthew
5:10,12; John 3:16). However, the
decision to take up the cross of Christ results in persecution and rejection
that in extreme cases could lead to punishment or even death. When weighed against the reward of eternity
with God, rejection and persecution are a small price, even when facing
death. I pray those reading this find
deeper strength and commitment to Christ and have the boldness to endure
persecution and rejection and participate in the spreading of the Gospel. May God bless everyone reading this.
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