Jesus Makes An Heroic Choice
On their way to the villages of Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked his
disciples, "Who do people say I am?" They told him, "John the Baptist;
others say, 'Elijah'; some say, 'One of the prophets.'" Then he said to
them, "But you yourselves, who do you say that I am?" Peter answered
him, "You are the Christ." But he strictly charged them to tell no one
that he was the Christ.
Then Jesus began to explain to his
isciples that he must suffer many
things and be rejected by the elders and high priests and scribes and be
killed, but that after three days he would rise from the dead. This he
said openly; and Peter tried to reprove him. But Jesus turned and,
looking upon his disciples, reproved Peter, saying, "Away with you,
Satan, for your mind is not on the things of God but of men."
Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him, and said to them,
"If any one wishes to follow me, let him forget himself, take up his
cross, and come with me. For any one who is thinking only of saving his
life, will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the
sake of the good news, will save it. What does it profit a man to gain
the whole world and lose his soul? For what could a man give in exchange
for his soul? Whoever is ashamed of me and my teachings in this sinful
world, of him I will be ashamed when I come in the glory of my Father
with the holy angels."