“The Way Of The Cross!”

“The Way Of The Cross!”(Mk.8:31-38).
An artist decided to paint a picture of Christ. He found a man whose calm features made him a suitable model. The man posed for the artist. The painting became a renowned masterpiece.
Some years later, the artist decided to paint a picture of Satan. He went about looking for a person with ugly and wicked characteristics. He found a suitable model who fitted his image of Satan. As he painted, he started a conversation with his model. It turned out that the model was the same person who had posed as a model for Christ.
It is possible to change from a Christlike life and become a model for Satan, and the reverse can also be true!
Humankind is unpredictable. Hard work and effort can transform a wild bush into a beautiful garden, producing evergreen fresh vegetables. In the same way, an abandoned garden will, after several years, become a wild bush.
Jesus had just asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ”(Mk.8:29-30).
Immediately after this, Jesus began to teach them what it will take for him to become the Christ Peter had just confessed him to be: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law…he must be killed and after three days rise again.”
Peter did not see this teaching as befitting for his kind of Christ. His conception of Christ like majority Jews of his time was not that of a suffering, rejected, and murdered person. Their conception of a Messiah was that of a Warrior Priest King who will be like Moses, Aaron, Elijah, and David wrapped in one.
Since Jesus’ teaching about the Messiah did not fit into Peter’s conception, he “took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him.”
I don’t know how many teachers will take it lightly if a student takes them aside and begin to rebuke them for teaching what does not align with theirs! It is like a head growing above the shoulders; a student teaching the teacher!
Peter, like the majority of us, is not interested in a helpless Messiah who will allow himself to be killed – even if he has to rise after three days!
We are often uncomfortable with the teachings of Jesus because he advocates for the life of self-denial. Genuine discipleship must disturb our comfort zone! True discipleship teaches us not to rely on permanence. Life is fleeting – to our dislike – and we have no say in it.
Lent season is a time for us to go back to the drawing board to crosscheck if we have adhered to what it takes to follow Christ.
Dear friend, our regularity in church and our commitedness to meeting all financial requirements must not be confused with our readiness to carry our cross and follow Christ. There is nothing any of us can give in exchange for our souls. All the fake beliefs of renewing supernatural powers through human blood that Nigerian movies use in portraying African religions in a negative way are farce! There is nothing any of us can give in exchange for one’s soul! “The soul that sins shall die!”
Prayer: Holy Spirit, strengthen us in the inner man to discern and do the things that mean self-denial as we follow Christ. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
19/02/2026.