St. Matthew structures chapter 16 as something of a lesson on what it means to be a follower of Christ. It starts with the recognition of Jesus identity as “the Messiah, the son of God.” Faith begins with an encounter with Jesus which confesses him as the One sent on a mission from God for the salvation of the world. The second step comes in recognizing what kind of messiah, what kind of redeeemer is — one who suffers. Jesus confronts the apostles with the stark reality that contrary to our expectations, the triumph of God does not happen by imposing the divine will but by living the divine humility in humble service. The next step in discipleship: embracing a willingness to share with Christ a life of self-sacrificing love. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” We are true followers of Jesus when we shift from what we can get to what we can give.
