Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.  Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.  That’s from on back in the book of Matthew during the temptation in the wilderness right before Jesus starts gathering followers and beginning his ministry and mission.  It was a fork in the road.  He was presented with a novel option, pretty much a shortcut with some lucrative enticements.  Take this road and receive all the world has to offer.  It’s uncomplicated, smooth, easy and painless AND there’s a crown right over here waiting.  However, as Robert Frost would say, that was the Road Not Taken and that made all the difference. It had to be a hard choice, but Jesus had the strength to make the right decision.  So here Jesus is, on an actual road, traveling with friends and admirers and he has one of those “Oh, by the way, I’ve been meaning to talk with you about this” discussions with his companions.  He fills them in on the fact that the plan of loving one’s neighbors and enemies, valuing and loving the outcasts and the sinful, sharing what God has first given us, bringing justice and repaying evil with good and walking humbly  will result in his death at the hands of those that oppose him.  Imagine that moment when the topic is first broached.  I see Peter saying, “Hold up, y’all go on ahead, I need a private word with Jesus.”  What’s up?  I think you missed an important arc point back there is Cesarea Phillipi or the suns getting to you.  I said it, you agreed.  You are the Messiah and the Messiah’s job is to kick butt and take names, be eternally victorious, lead the rebellion, free us from oppression and establish a rule and kingdom!  You know the drill, power and domination.  So cut out the nonsense, you’re scaring everybody, get with the program, and let’s go get your crown.  Hear the resonance or the echo of the time in the wilderness.  Jesus does.  It’s the invitation to the shortcut and the glitter of the crown, but as Jesus points out shortly in Chapter 20,  “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and give his life a ransom for many”  So we are back to the fork in the road, and I’m sure to a difficult and trying temptation, confronting an adversary, that’s the translation of the word satan, that’s back offering the alluring enticements of power and glory.  The temptation, the stumbling block gets re-presented and this time instead of saying go away, Jesus says to go behind.  Peter is trying to drive the bus with his desires and quite probably with the desires of many others, so it is strongly recommended that he take his seat, that they are not taking a detour.  We are seeing at its very inception the conflict of a theology of the cross versus a theology of glory.  Peter, now representing the church, is in struggle, like all disciples across time, with self-determination and a passion for control and power.  Peter, understandably, doesn’t want the scary side.  But, going the other way, seeking the crown would mean forsaking people and God’s will for justice and equity, the cause of the people’s anger.  Jesus is embracing the things we fear.  When we are struggling with fear of other groups or individuals or of scarcity or suffering, or pain or death or embarrassment, it’s painful when our fears are brought to light.  It feels like a challenge and makes us feel weak because we’ve grown to hate the things that we don’t understand or that make us fearful. Those fears and trying to fight against them in a spirit of fear can put us at the fork in the road with Peter trying to travel the road that promises glory and crowns.  Freedom from fear and seeking to understand and embrace enemies and the “foreign” is power not weakness—  living surrounded by defenses, fear of missing out, of those that are different, fear of want, of someone else getting more, living with a constant eye on what’s everyone else’s plate and an attitude of scarcity is living in a spirit of fear. That spirit drives us to anger and vengeance.  We see Jeremiah entangled in a lot of fear in today’s first lesson.  He’s caught in the midst of suffering and he lashes out in anger toward his enemies, real or perceived and at God.  I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation.  Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? In the midst of his suffering he feels incredibly alone.  Doesn’t that happen sometimes?  Sometimes we might feel incapable or overwhelmed by the thought of what to say or do for those who are overwhelmed by loss, pain, grief or suffering and they are surrounded by the reality of loneliness.  So Jeremiah lashes out.  He calls on God to “ bring down retribution for me on my persecutors”.  Then he turns his anger toward God.  “Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.”  I get that, and notice how God does not abandon him but remains present and faithful.  Jeremiah seeks to curse his persecutors, but Paul says that we are not repay evil with evil. He says, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  That’s taking up the cross and following Jesus.  It takes a lot of strength and courage that the Spirit will provide if we seek to follow in the way of the cross, if we seek to follow that road. Like Peter, we as individuals and as the church say no to Jesus’ way far too often, we need, like the disciples, to be reminded of the differences. As Richard Ward points out, “Cross-bearing is for “losers” in societies like ours. The “winners” are those who know how to master the game of life and have the goods to prove it. Winners might explain that the cross represents something that Jesus did for them. The text explains that cross-bearing is what disciples are called to do in Jesus’ name.”  That is parallel to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”   So there on the road where Jesus is telling his adversary, his tempter, to get behind him or to come behind or follow him, he is affirming his methods and God’s will and he wants others to take up those methods, that same affirmation and do likewise.  Getting us to be fearful and getting us to strike out with our own desires is the basic nature of Satan, who is the source of every spirit of fear. Fear is the result of not believing in God’s power, love, and willingness to act on our behalf.  Scripture tells us concerning fear, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” and “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” because it also tells us that “God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of self-control.”  What does help in those times of suffering, fear and pain is community, friends, the body of Christ being present.  Remember God remaining with Jeremiah and sort of ignoring the hostility?  Being there, being faithful.  That too was Jesus’ ministry to all those suffering around him, to you and to me.  Blogger Kathryn Wallace wrote a poignant tribute to Winnie the Pooh and his friends that show how this type of cross carrying this type of compassion can make a difference.  “ Eeyore said, ‘All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven’t bothered you. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now.’ Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.  Eeyore looked at them in  surprise. ‘What are you doing?’  ‘We’re sitting here with you,’ said Pooh, ‘because we are your friends. And true friends don’t care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are.  ‘Oh,’ said Eeyore.  ‘Oh.’ And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.  Because Pooh and Piglet were There. No more; no less.  All the crowns and power glimmer and entice, but I think Grace and creating relationships are the currency in the kingdom of God.  Living for and loving others, that’s cross bearing. Jesus said “To be a follower, put aside your selfish desires and take up your cross and follow me. Because what good will it do you if you get all that stuff but forfeit your life?”   it’s not an easy road.  It requires strength and courage to take the road and carry the cross, but its load is lightened by thankfulness for God’s grace and walking before us and with us.