Matthew 16:21-27, Jesus’ Fellow Workers

Jesus is building His Church; we are His fellow workers.  The Greek term in 1 Cor. 3:9 is sunergos, which is not hard to decipher in English.  Sun is the prefix for “together.”  Ergos should remind you of “energy” or, in the case of a worker, an “energetic person.”  Thus, as workers “together” we must be in sync with Jesus.  And since Jesus is the architect and master craftsman, He is the One who must determine in what ways we must be joined together. 

Having said that, we now would say: there are few passages in the Bible that better describe how we are to be in sync with Jesus than this one (Mt. 16:13-27) and the related passages in the other Synoptic Gospels (Mark 8:27-38; Luke 9:18-26).  As His fellow workers we must know Him, something that requires that God reveal Him to us (16:13-20).  Second, we must understand that we are His followers, carrying our cross as He is carrying His, headed for Jerusalem, the place of suffering and resurrection (16:21-23).  Third, we must be those who have denied and lost ourselves in and for Him; we are not those who work because we are in it for worldly gain but who eagerly await the day when He, Jesus, will reward us according to our work (16:24-27).

·        We must live as Jesus lives, a life of death and resurrection, v24.  It is interesting that only now did Jesus make this clear to his disciples (granted, they still could not comprehend; but Jesus was very clear).  He did not tell them this as they were mending their nets that day.  He just said, Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.  But now they have come to the most significant fork in the road.  They have confessed them as Lord.  They consider themselves His followers or disciples.  If they follow Him, they need to know He is going to Calvary!

·        We won’t follow Jesus to the cross, truly, unless we are willing to lost our lives for His sake, v25.  He must be that important to us!  No one, not even we, ourselves, can be more important.

·        Not even the entirety of the world’s riches and self-value and pleasure can rise above His place in our lives, v26.  This is a fact.  If you gain the whole world you would lose the very soul you are trying to please.  Our studies on “joy” (Jan. 30-31, 2019, https://ronandcindy.blogspot.com/) pointed out how the Greeks had no appreciation for “joy” deep in the heart because their whole approach was to seek after pleasure (hedone), the things that make us feel good from moment to moment. 

·        What must characterize Jesus’ fellow workers is their total satisfaction in waiting for the day when He will reward His workers, v27.

 Meditate on this.  Seek the work of God to help you examine yourself in the truth.  Are you really following Christ, on the path of His choosing?  What is of value to you?  Are you laying up treasure in heaven?