Jon Guerra sings, ‘Take Up Your Cross’. How does this song speak to you today?

If anyone would come after me

Let him deny himself

Take up his cross

Follow me

If anyone would come after me

Let him deny himself

Take up his cross

Follow me

Whoever would save his life

Will lose it

Whoever loses his life for me

Will find it

If anyone claims to worship God

Let him give all away

Take up his cross

Follow me

Whoever would save his life

Will lose it

Whoever loses his life for me

Will find it

What would it profit a man

If he gains the whole world

And forfeits his soul

What would it profit a man at all

What would it profit a man

If he dies with a barn full of silver and gold

What would it profit a man at all

If anyone would come after me

Let him deny himself

Take up his cross

Follow me

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 10:28-31

Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’

In this reading, Peter is starting to wonder “What’s in it for us?” or perhaps “What is the point of this discipleship?”. Have you ever felt like this? How did you handle it?

Jesus replies that everyone who accepted the invitation to discipleship “will receive a hundredfold”. Have you found that to be true in your life?

Jesus says, “many who are first will be last”. What does this mean to you?

Prepare to hear the passage read a second time, listening with an attentive awareness...

Mark 10:28-31

Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’

Finally, as you look back over these last few minutes, what really stands out for you. Could you turn that into a prayer to God?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen