True Self-Denial Matthew 16:22-24 Our society has been inundated and influenced by the self-esteem movement to the point that it is no longer perceived as anything but the most familiar and acceptable way of thinking. In a 1984 issue of the Ladies Home Journal, women are assured that feeling good about ourselves may, in fact, be the cornerstone of our total well-being. Since they think this is likely, the writers of the article logically purpose the following counsel: Take positive steps to enhance your self-esteem. This advice is not uncommon within or without the church, for women or for men. But this kind of advice is counterproductive to biblical truth. When Jesus gently upbraided Martha for being distracted about serving, He told her she needed one thing (Lk.10:42). The need of which He spoke was not the need for a sense of personal worth or for the acceptance of oneself as a strong, self-sufficient person. The need was for Christ Himself and His Word-that which Mary had rightly chosen (Lk.10:39). In todays text, Peter exhorts the Lord Jesus, in essence, to pity Himself. He uses a term (be it far or far be it) that calls for God to be gracious and favorable to Jesus so that this suffering and death can be avoided (v.21). What an immense difference between Peters statement and our Lords (vv.22,24): pity yourself versus deny yourself! Yet all of us are doing one or the other-pitying and sparing self, or denying and ignoring self. Sadly, the vast majority of people today (even some professing Christians) are coddling self and seeking to boost their self-esteem. The proposal to pity oneself is from Satan (v.23). The call to deny self comes from God (v.24). JED
Posted on: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 00:03:08 +0000
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