April 29th, 21

It's a dangerous trap. That's what Jesus calls it. To see things only from your own point of view, from your own perspective. It's a dangerous trap. And Jesus rebukes Peter and says, Get away from me, Satan, you are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's. It's a dangerous trap to see things from your own point of view and not God's. It's dangerous to hold on to your life and your agenda apart from God. later on. In this passage, Jesus says, If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you'll save it. If you demand to hold on to your own way, to make this life of project all about you, your ego, your comfort, your ambition, position, reputation or pleasure, then you've fallen into a trap, and you will ultimately lose your life. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul is anything worth more than your soul? asks Jesus.

But Jesus gives us a way out. He tells us how to free ourselves of the trap. He says we must live in light of the cross. The way to be free from this dangerous trap is through the most dangerous symbol imaginable. The Cross, this instrument of death will be the doorway to your life. If you want to be my follower, pick up your cross and follow me. He says, lose your life. Find it. accept the fact that there is no life and wholeness for you, apart from me, die to yourself and find me, find life. If we look at our life through the cross, we will find the eternal, we will find our true selves. We will find him.  On the cross. We see what it is to love. To give of oneself, to radically forgive others and to suffer alongside with others. When we do that, we become fully alive. So don't fall into the trap. Don't live only from your point of view. Live from the perspective of the cross. Live the with God life now and pick up your cross and follow him. That's a prayer that I have from my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family for my wife, my daughter's my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so

You are loved!