In 5th grade, during recess, I, a non-athlete, was playing Keep-Away against the boys. Proudly, I grabbed the ball, and in my moment of triumph, I promptly turned around and ran square into the steel volleyball pole. I lost the point, consciousness, and ended up with two black eyes from the impact. When I grabbed the ball, I thought it was all about me, but the next minute I lay in the dirt, totally humiliated.
peter’s shining moment
Mark 8:27-9:1: Disciple Peter thought he won the game. At the beginning of this passage, Jesus asks the Disciples who they think He is. Peter answers Him, “You are the Christ.” Yay Peter! He finally got it right! Honor student! Peter thought he got the win.
total humiliation
Jesus then warns the disciples He would “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.” Despite Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, Peter refused to associate the prophecies with the Messiah. Jesus responded by rebuking Peter and saying, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Peter thought he knew more than God, but he faced total humiliation.
PETER’S ASSUMPTIONS
Till that rebuke from Jesus, Peter assumed his Messiah would come, conquer the Romans, give all the Disciples thrones, and bring the final touchdown. Jesus popped that balloon by saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
DEFINITION OF DENY
“Denying self”? Ray Stedman observes: “The word ‘deny’ means to disavow any connection with something, to state that you are not connected in any way with whatever is in view. It is the word used to describe Peter’s denial of Jesus as he stood in the courtyard of the high priest” (Mark 14:66-72). Peter prioritized self-preservation by denying any association with Christ. Do I prioritize self and disconnect myself from Christ?
LORDSHIP?
If Jesus is my Lord, I cannot consider myself the master of my own life. Peter was initially appalled at the concept of Lordship. Who wants to go on a one-way trip to the cross? But that is the exact route Jesus chose for Himself. In Luke 22:42-43, Jesus was sweating bullets but decided to give up all rights to Himself.
DENYING SELF CAN BE TOUGH
Sometimes, denying self is tougher than other times. Ever been first in the checkout line when someone cuts ahead? If you glare at the offender and tell them what a turkey they are, you are glorifying self instead of Christ. Or what if Church Board member Jerry gets into a screaming match in the parking lot with Elder Mark over the expense of the new church sound system? Are they denying their pride and anger? Maybe volunteer Sarah signs up for the church nursery to help an entire month, but then decides that she really doesn’t want to get up that early on Sunday mornings. At the last minute, Sarah cancels four Sundays in a row. Does Sarah trust God enough to deny herself?
TOOLS FOR LEARNING SELF-DENIAL
Denying self is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We don’t learn this by willpower, as if our will can conquer it on its own. By handing the reins over to the Holy Spirit, we can be empowered to learn to deny self. Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God. Don’t be like Peter and me. We both faced total humiliation when we didn’t learn to surrender.
Click to read an excellent piece on surrender.
