If we follow Jesus in this life, what should we expect? The prosperity gospel says that we’ll have an unbroken chain of worldly success, all the wealth and health that we could possibly desire – if only our faith is strong enough. In the aftermath of the sexual revolution, and really ever since the rise of the Romantic movement in the 19th century, many other Christians have believed that, because Jesus loves them, those who are faithful to Him will invariably be blessed with happiness and fulfillment in this life.

And when they finally realized that Jesus was the promised Messiah, Peter and the rest of the disciples expected the same sorts of things. They thought He would make them the top advisors in the worldly kingdom He would soon establish, giving them money and privilege and power beyond their wildest dreams.

But Jesus reminded Peter that having such desires indicates a focus on our own interests, not on God’s. In fact, He went so far as to say that such self-centeredness is nothing short of satanic. In contrast, he urges all His followers to set our minds on what God wants, seeking only to increase God’s glory and to bless those who are around us. In short, following Jesus requires us to share Jesus’ priorities.

And given that we continue to live in a sinful world, truly loving God and other people always requires self-denial, and even self-sacrifice. Far from promising us wealth and health, power and pleasure in this world, Jesus thus calls us to take up our own cross, to die to our own self-interest so that God’s will might be accomplished in us. For it is only as we follow Jesus in such a way that we can draw close to Him and that we can display His love and truth to the unbelieving world.

So, which path will we take today? Will we continue to cling to the worldly sort of blessings that cannot possibly last? If we do, we will eventually forfeit our souls. Or will we give up our lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel, keeping our eyes fixed on the day He returns in glory? Will we truly follow Jesus?

Mark 8:31-38 (NASB)

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
34 And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it.
36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
37 “For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”