You Only Have to Die
Luke 9:51-56
What would you do if you only had one month to live? Would any of your priorities change? These are the questions that pastor Kerry and Chris Shook ask in their book, One Month to Live: 30 Days to a No-Regrets Life. The catalyst for the book was encountering people who were dying and noticing that their attitudes and priorities often changed when they knew the end was near. “They would do the things they always wanted to do, and say things they had always wanted to say. They’d ask for forgiveness and give forgiveness more freely. They took more risks. It seemed like they had this whole new clarity on their priorities.” Kerry and Chris began to ask, ‘Why wait? Why can’t we live this way all the time?’” What they found was that really uncluttered their overcrowded schedule and helped them clarify things that are important. And then he says, “We’ve found that there are so many people that are glad to tell you what’s important and what needs to be done. If you don’t decide what’s important from the Lord, everyone else will tell you.”
In our Scripture today, Jesus realizes he has just a few months to live and it changes everything for Him. Luke 9 to the end of the Gospel covers the last 6 months of Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus begins the journey to Jerusalem with the disciples through Samaria, a much shorter and easier route than the alternative which took 7 days. The Jews hated the Samaritans, because they were had violated God’s word by intermarrying with the Gentiles. In Jewish eyes, Samaritans were half-breeds and considered to be lower than dogs. So pilgrims travelling through Samaria to Jerusalem would spend the night in the last city in Jewish territory and the next day walk all the ay through Samaria to the first Jewish city of Judea, all to remain ceremonially clean. Though it only took 3 days to get from Galilee to Jerusalem on this path, Jesus took an entire six months teaching and preaching in various places along the way. For Jesus, Jerusalem meant suffering and death. As Jesus told his disciples in Luke 9:22, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” This realization casts a long shadow over all the remaining passages in Luke’s gospel and every word, every act and every decision Jesus makes on the road to Jerusalem. It changed his priorities. Jesus shifts from his public ministry to the crowds to now preparing the disciples for His eventual death. It also changed his teaching as he begins to speak to the disciples about his crucifixion and death and what it means to follow him and in giving them more and more hands on experience in ministry. In other words, death impacts every aspect of his life and ministry. Death has a way of doing that.
There are several things we learn about the call of the cross. First, you have to be resolved to do the will of God, no matter what. Jesus said, “I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” Luke 13:33 In spite of knowing that this last journey to Jerusalem would end in his death and crucifixion, he begins the journey because he had resided to do the Father’s will. There’s a lesson of life and faith for us there. Instead of waiting to get into a situation and then make up our mind, it is better to make our decision of who we are and what we are going to be about to then guide us in every situation we face. This is what carried Jesus through this journey to the cross, even when he knew it meant death. Our Scripture today says, Jesus resolutely "set his face" for what he would face in Jerusalem. This image of "setting one’s face" comes from the prophet Isaiah 50:6-7, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame."
Michael Gyarmarthy writes, “He set His face like flint.” These six words drifted around my conscience as I awoke on a Monday morning…in Austin, Texas. Lately, Monday has meant for me the start of another long week of work—a daunting 40 hours of labor standing between me and another weekend respite. Today begins week nine of ten of my internship, and my groggy head and drowsy eyes tell me that the end cannot come soon enough. These six words persisted in my mind throughout the day. They met me in the office kitchen as I poured my cup of coffee. They sat on the shelf of my desk as I hacked away all day at my computer. They even accompanied me in the passenger seat of my car as I sat in rush hour traffic on the way home. “Okay God, I’m listening.”…(And) God spoke to me this particular morning, and with His words came a lesson to be learned. It was the Father’s will for His Son to suffer and die for the sins of mankind. Jesus knew this well, and He still went. Let me repeat. My God knew exactly what you and I were going to cost him—his very life. He knew that it was going to be messy and painful, yet he followed the path marked out for him towards Jerusalem, setting his face like flint. Flint is a very hard type of sedimentary rock. When struck against steel, a flint edge produces sparks to start a fire. Setting your face like flint implies that you’re expecting some opposition, to stand strong in the face of adversity. To set your face like flint means to regard these difficulties as worthwhile when you consider what they will lead you to. When I learned the purpose of flint, I began to realize what these six words mean: It means having the resolve to achieve the Lord’s purposes. Jesus had countless opportunities to abandon the task He was sent to complete, yet he was unwavering with every step He took. When He told his disciples of the suffering He was going to endure in Jerusalem, they pleaded with him to choose an easier path, but He did not listen. Jesus was steadfast in achieving His purpose until He said,“It is finished”.
So when Jesus realized the cross was his fate, he made a commitment set in stone. It could not be changed. He burnt the bridges behind him so there is no turning back. When Jesus realized it was his time to be taken up to heaven, He resolutely set his face like flint toward God’s purpose. Why? Because his desire was to fulfill the Father’s will. Andy Andrews tells the story of Hernán Cortés in 1519, who landed on the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with some 600 Spaniards, 16 or so horses and 11 boats. The Spanish conquistador and his men were about to embark on a conquest of an empire that hoarded some of the world’s greatest treasure of gold, silver and precious jewels. But, with only 600 men, none of whom had encumbered themselves with protective armor, conquering an empire so extensive in its territories that it could only be undertaken by men who had resolutely decided to follow through on the conquest. In fact, for more than 600 years, conquerors with far more resources at their disposal attempted to colonize the Yucatan Peninsula and failed. Hernán Cortés was well-aware of this. And it was for this reason, that instead of charging through cities and forcing his men into immediate battle, Cortés stayed on the beach and gave emblazoned speeches urging on the spirit of adventure and invoking the thirst of lifetimes of fortune amongst his troops. But it would only be 3 words which Cortés’ murmured, that would change their fate and the course of history of the New World: “Burn the boats.” This removed any exit strategy in place to save their lives. Now, they were left with only 2 choices — die, or fight to ensure victory. And fight they did. As a result, Cortez became the first man to successfully conquer Mexico.
Second, the call of the cross means enduring opposition. Verse 52 tells us that Jesus sent messengers on ahead to get things ready for him, presumably to teach there. Now no good Jew would ever stop in Samaria, let alone engage a Samaritan in conversation. But not Jesus. Verse 53 says that the people did not welcome or receive him. What’s interesting is that Jesus comes to them in love and grace to teach, share the Good News and perhaps even to heal but they reject him. Luke says the reason was because he was going to Jerusalem. This goes back to century’s old conflict about worship. Because of their intermarriage with Gentiles, Samaritans were forbidden to worship in the Temple. As a result, the Samaritans had to build their own temple for worship at Mount Gerizim. So at the beginning of Jesus’ journey to the cross through Samaria, we see there will be rejection and opposition, and this is a foreshadowing of the rejection and opposition of the Pharisees and the Sadducees awaiting Jesus. That’s the way it seems it has always been. God begins a new work and comes to us in grace and love and the world resists and sometimes even rebels against Him. Perhaps what’s even more disturbing is that many times it’s the religiously faithful, God’s very own people, who resist God’s new work in the world. The call of the cross means you must not only expect opposition and rejection but receive it on your journey of following Jesus. The question is how you will receive it?
Third, the call of the cross is to respond to others in grace. The question becomes “How you are going to respond when the opposition and rejection arises?” because it’s not a question of “if” it will come but only “when.” After the Samaritans rejected the disciples and Jesus, James and John, also known as the Sons of Thunder, asked: “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” This takes us back 8 centuries to the time of Elijah when in this particular area the King of Israel, Ahaziah, was seriously injured in a fall and consulted the idol Baal about his prognosis. Elijah intercepted the messengers and told them that Ahaziah would die. As a result, the king sent a captain and 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah, who then called down fire from heaven to kill them. This happened a second time. On the third time, Elijah was finally arrested. This is why James and John ask to call down fire as did one of the most significant prophets in the Jewish faith. Instead, Jesus rebuked the disciples. How quickly the disciples forget that Jesus had spent the last few weeks ministering to Gentiles: praising the faith of the Canaanite woman, feeding the 4000 in Samaria and the fact that many Samaritans had come to believe in Jesus. But despite these repeated lessons, James and John could not separate themselves from the Jewish prejudice against the Samaritans. Jesus uses this event to show that even Samaritans were welcome in the Kingdom of God. But he also prepares them for how they will need to respond when they experience opposition and rejection to the Gospel and their ministry after he’s gone, through grace rather than retribution.
Fourth, the call of the cross reminds us we have limited time here on earth. Scripture continually reminds us about the limitations of our days. Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Each of us has limited time here on earth so don’t take today for granted. How should we spend that time? The best way is to give it away and there we will find life. Jesus said, “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25 It would have been easy for Jesus not to set his face toward Jerusalem. That was a scary prospect for anyone. That’s why Peter rebuked Jesus when he heard Jesus first talk about his impending crucifixion and death. It wasn’t easy for Jesus either who the night before his death prayed, "Father, if it’s possible, deliver me from this, but not my will, your will be done." Jesus could have backed out of the whole deal and lived another 30 or 40 years, but he would have missed out on his life as God intended it.
In 2005, less than six years before he died, Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs gave the commencement speech at Stanford in which he said, "Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything…all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
And I would add that there is no reason not to follow the cross. If you were going to die, what would you do differently? What would you give up and what would you commit to do with all that you have and everything that you are? What’s the remainder of your days going to be committed to and consumed by? When we realize our mortality and the call of the cross, only then can we resolutely set our face toward God’s purpose and resolutely embrace it. Amen
