This Sunday we get the second half of the encounter between Jesus and Peter. Granted we have no idea how much time has gone by between Jesus' command to tell no one in Matthew 16.20 and Peter taking him aside to set him straight on how this Messiah thing would work out in 16.22, but I have a hunch that it was probably about 45 seconds.
Anyway, in Jesus' rebuke of Peter's rebuke he decides to teach a lesson to all of his disciples; namely what following him is all about. Following Jesus is taking up our cross and following him. Following Jesus is impossible. Well impossible unless Jesus helps us. The unfortunate irony of it all is that our hands are so full of our own stuff; good works, worries, ambition, etc. that we haven't a free hand to pick up our cross. You'll note that in every picture you see of Jesus on the road to Calvary he is carrying nothing but his cross. It is impossible, without Jesus having shown us how and now being able to take into his hands all that fills ours, to pick up our cross.
Believe it or not, that is the good news in the Gospel lesson for Sunday. That God expects so much from and hopes to give so much to us that it is impossible to handle it all; so Jesus, God the Son, takes care of it all for us. This frees us up from all the good works, worries, ambitions, etc. that cloud our focus and demand our attention so that we can follow Christ, and him alone, in the pursuit of God's perfectly freeing will.
Sounds tricky I know, but thank God we don't have to do it on our own.
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