The Road to the Cross 1: The Cost of the Journey

This podcast is brought to you by Walnut Grove of Winter Church in Langley, DC, in the hope that it will draw you closer to the one who loves you most.

As many of you know, I grew up on the prairies and during the winter, on a weekend, when the sun was shining, what me and my brothers would do is we'd grab our skates and our hockey sticks and we'd go to our cousins about a mile down the road to play some hockey because they had this humongous slough next to their farmyard.

We set up a couple boots at each end for goalposts, and away we would go.

And whenever I got the puck on my stick and was skating as fast as I could down the ice, this is the thought that was in my head.

It's game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The score is tied, and I'm heading down the ice, and I'm gonna score the winning goal to win the Stanley Cup.

Now, here's the thought that was not in my head.

I'm going to trip on a crack in the ice, I'm gonna fall flat on my face, the puck is gonna go wide of the net, my team is going to be in last place and never, ever, ever, ever make the NHL playoffs.

I must tell you that no Canadian kid ever had that thought in their head ever while playing shiny hockey or street hockey.

You see, human beings of all ages have a built-in desire for glory.

But it's a flaw, it's not a feature.

We want to win, we want to matter, we want to be seen as successful and capable and admirable.

And we think that if we could just get enough control over our circumstances, over our image, over our future, we could secure the glory we crave.

But life, as most of you know, rarely cooperates with our plans for glory.

But the deeper danger is not that we fail to achieve our dreams of glory, but that the pursuit itself blinds us to things that actually make life rich.

Things like deep relationships and meaningful work, and having the kind of character that sees God's presence even in hardship.

Our desire for glory promises life, but it quietly hollows us out.

And so, where do we find the path that leads to abundant life?

And how do we get on it?

And to answer that, we begin a new series today called The Road to the Cross, and our first stop is Mark chapter 10, verses 32 to 45.

Mark 10:32–45

Now, as this passage opens, we see that Jesus and his disciples are on a journey, and it's a journey of great importance to the entire world.

Ever since Jesus was transfigured on that mountain and his divine glory was revealed, when he came down off of that mountain, he set his face toward Jerusalem and continued in that direction with determination.

And along the way he told his disciples what was going to happen.

They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him.

Three days later, he will rise.

But in spite of the repetition, it seems as though the significance of what he said did not really sink in.

For two of his closest followers, James and John, came to him with a request.

Let one of us sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.

To use a hockey metaphor, they were saying to Jesus, When you win the Stanley Cup of redemption to the world, let us be the first and the second guys, you pass that cup to.

Now they weren't being malicious, they were being human.

They wanted glory, they wanted status, they wanted to matter.

And Jesus says essentially to them, you don't even know what you're talking about.

My road, the road to my glory is the road of suffering.

Can you drink that cup?

They confidently reply, we can.

And I can imagine that Jesus looked at them with love and sorrow.

You will drink it, he says.

But those seats are not mine to give.

Now, when the other disciples hear what James and John asked, they were indignant, not because they disagreed, but because they didn't think of it first.

And so Jesus gathers them and he uses this as a teachable moment.

And he says, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them, not so with you.

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

In the world around them, greatness meant power, using authority to secure your advantage.

But Jesus turns the whole thing upside down.

Greatness is not domination, he is saying.

Greatness is not status, greatness is not being above others.

Instead, Jesus tells us that greatness is service, greatness is sacrifice, greatness is love poured out for others.

And Jesus didn't just teach this, He embodies this.

The one who spoke galaxies into existence became a helpless baby.

The one who holds all power laid it down.

The one who deserved all glory walked straight toward a cross.

And why?

Because of love.

As part of the divine community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, where each person in the Trinity loves the other two with perfect self-giving love.

Jesus knew what love was really like.

And he knew that love uses power differently.

Love spends itself for the good of others.

Love gives life away so that others may live.

And Jesus' greatest act of love was giving his life as a ransom, setting us free from our bondage to sin, death, and condemnation.

A slavery which trapped all of mankind ever since our first parents rebelled against God.

And that's the gift Jesus gave to humanity, even though that gift cost him his life.

And so Jesus steadfastly headed towards Jerusalem even though there was a cross waiting for him there, and he knew it.

He would suffer horribly and he would die.

But on the third day that followed, he would rise from the dead.

And everyone who believes in Jesus will have forgiveness for all their sins and new life with him right now, and resurrection life with him in the new heaven and earth to come.

So what does this all mean for us?

Well, in this passage, you and I were James and John.

We've heard the story of Jesus' suffering and death and resurrection many times, and yet our hearts still bend inward towards ourselves.

We chase glory, comfort, and approval.

We still imagine life will be full if we can just get enough control.

But remember that Jesus didn't walk the road of the cross to shame us.

And he invites us to follow him.

Not to earn his love, but because his love transforms us into being people who love others and serve them.

So the question is not, will you try harder to be humble?

The question is will you let Jesus' self-giving love seep into the cold glory-seeking corners of your heart?

Because when Jesus' love takes root within us, something beautiful happens.

We begin to invest deeply in relationships.

We find meaning and work that blesses others.

We see significance in suffering rather than running from it.

We become people who serve not out of guilt but out of love.

We live in a culture that worships autonomy, comfort, and self-fulfillment.

And this makes things hard for us.

Because whenever a society prizes those things above all else, vulnerable lives are put at risk.

The early Christians were known for rescuing abandoned infants and caring for the sick and the dying.

They walked the path of the cross in a world that was obsessed with power.

Today we live in a society where the very young and the very old are seen as burdens, where abortion is widely available, where medical assistance and dying is increasingly normalized, where the path of glory defined as personal autonomy and comfort can lead to the quiet elimination of those who are inconvenient or suffering.

The path of glory always sacrifices others.

The path of the cross sacrifices the self.

These two paths lead in very different directions.

One of the books I'm reading right now is Let God Spiritual Conversations with Francois Fenelon by Wynne Collier.

Fenelon was a Catholic bishop during the time of Louis XIV, and he would often write letters to provide spiritual direction for young people who served in the royal court.

And Collier has taken these letters and updated them so that we can benefit from Fenelon's spiritual wisdom in today's world.

And in one letter he writes this to a friend who's wrestling with a difficult decision.

Dear friend, the truth is that I am quite fascinated with how much good is embedded in suffering.

Isn't it strange?

We are actually destitute without the cross.

I feel the crushing force.

I can barely hold up.

But when the suffering has passed, I look back at the experience and I appreciate what God has done with my discomfort.

There is no season or place where we do not need the cross, except, of course, where God's kingdom has its final complete rule.

Whenever we take on the cross in love, God's kingdom has begun then and there.

We must choose whether or not we will endure the cross and stick with our suffering.

There is wisdom here.

We don't seek suffering for its own sake.

But when we choose the path of the cross, which is service, sacrifice, and love, God meets us there.

And his kingdom breaks in.

Dear friends, Jesus did not come to serve, but to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

His love for you is infinite, unconditional, and sacrificial.

And so the challenge I set before you today is this.

And keep in mind, I am preaching to myself as much as I'm preaching to you.

And that is to let his love lead us away from the path of glory and onto the path of the cross.

It is a costly path, but it is also the path where Jesus walks beside you and me.

And along the way, he will work through us to bless others with his love.

Amen.

Let's pray.

Thank you, Jesus, for taking the road to the cross because of your love for us.

And we pray that you would be with us, encourage us, and strengthen us throughout all our days with you, but especially in those times when we are suffering.

Help us to always remember that you walk with us always, even through the valley of the shadow of death.

And you have something great and wonderful for us with you on the other side.

Bless us, Lord, and help us to be a blessing.

And we ask all these things in Jesus' name.

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Thank you.