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Humble Hero
It was a bitter lesson, and Peter learned it slowly: the path of
Christ led through agony and humiliation. But in the heat of the
furnace fire, the disciple was to learn the blessing of that path. Long
afterward, he wrote, “Rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s
sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his
glory is revealed.”
1 Peter 4:13
, NRSV.
Jesus now explained to His disciples that His own life of self-
denial was an example of what theirs should be: “If anyone desires
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to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me.” The cross, associated with the power of Rome, was the
most cruel and humiliating form of death. Criminals were required
to carry the cross to the place of execution. Often when it was laid
on their shoulders, they resisted with desperate violence until the
soldiers overpowered them. The disciples only dimly comprehended
Jesus’ words, but they recognized that He spoke of their submission
to death for the sake of Christ.
The Savior’s words could not have pictured any more complete
self-surrender. But all this He had accepted for them. He left heaven
for a life of reproach and insult and a death of shame. He was rich in
heaven’s priceless treasure, but He became poor so that through His
poverty we could be rich. We are to follow in the path He walked.
Love for others means crucifixion of self. Those who are children
of God should look on themselves as links in the chain let down to
save the world, one with Christ, going forth with Him to seek and
save the lost. Christians have consecrated themselves to God, and in
character they are to reveal Christ to the world.
“Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Selfishness is
death. The heart that fails to send its lifeblood to the hand and the
head would quickly lose its power. So is the love of Christ spread
through every part of His spiritual body. We are members one of
another, and whoever refuses to give will perish. “What will it profit
a man,” said Jesus, “if he gains the whole world, and loses his own
soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Christ pointed the disciples to His coming in glory with the
angels of heaven. Then He said, “He will reward each according to
his works.” And for their encouragement, He promised, “Assuredly,