" True Self - Denial "

Matthew 16:22-24   " Then Peter took HIM, and began to rebuke HIM, saying, 'Be it far from THEE, LORD:  this shall not be unto THEE.'  But HE turned, and said unto Peter, 'Get thee behind me, Satan:  thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of GOD, but those that be of men.'  Then said JESUS unto HIS disciples, 'If any man will come after ME, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow ME.' "

     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 propose 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" (Luke 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 (Martha's sister) had rightly chosen (Luke 10:39).

     In today's 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 Peter's statement and our LORD's (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 many 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
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, Feature: A Daily Bible Study Guide.
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