Feb12026
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The Only Road.

Outsiders looking inside were perplexed and confused as to why Christians worship a man who died on a cross. “Why are you worshiping a loser. Why not someone who is far more successful and has made an impact on the world such as the Roman emperor, who built roads all over the empire and now people can travel from one place to the other. One who provides people with peace and security and has provided the greatest economy the world has ever seen and there will not be a better one until the industrial age.” Christians began to get tired of put-downs, the loss of jobs, the public humiliation, the stereotype, and the label “Losers.” So, what they decided to do was to live under the radar. They would not tell anyone. They would continue to enjoy and be inspired by the word of God, and enjoy the family gatherings and the breaking of the bread. That way, they could eliminate unnecessary suffering and persecution.

Here is the problem with this tactic. Let’s say I was living in the first century in Athens, Greece. And after I died, I found out that I could have had access to eternal life through faith in Christ, and nobody told me of this. In addition, I could have had access to the teachings of Christ, which would have enabled me to live a far more fulfilling life than the pagan life offered. I would have been very upset that no one told me. That is not fair. You have a great gift, yet you are unwilling to share it. That is not Christian.

So, anticipating this, Christ went up a mountain to give the details as to what it looks like to be a follower. Eight details in the form of beatitudes. And Christ offers them so we would know: “When I die on the cross, this is what it will look like, this is what it will feel like. These eight are the path to the greatest victory no powerful person could ever achieve: victory over death.

We like to talk about success; we value and celebrate victory, but Christ tells us that we should rather value the road that leads to the victory. The path to success and the only path to success is loss and failure. 

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