Worthy

"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected," Mark 8:31.

The moment his disciples discovered Jesus as the Messiah, he began to teach that he would die agonizingly. Plainly. Rejected by elders, chief priests, scribes. Plainly. But that three days later he'd rise again. Plainly. Then with intention and deliberation he announced that any disciple of his must deny himself, take up his own cross, and follow Jesus. That's the only way to save one's own life. Life, as Jesus would have it, isn't about ease and securing happiness (but we all want these!), it's about losing one's life in Jesus' sake. And in the gospel's sake. And in that loss (right there!), to find it.

Today, in mutual anticipation with a brother or sister, we look ahead to Jesus' appearing with the holy angels in the Father's glory. And, together, we rejoice being counted worthy to suffer for Jesus' name.