Mark 8:34-38

"Then Jesus, calling the crowd to join his disciples, said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”"
If you are familiar with this passage, then maybe you can remember why Jesus decided to call the crowd together.
It was because Peter, His own disciple, had allowed himself to become a hindrance to the Gospel.
In the verses prior to these, we read; (Mark 8:31-33)
"Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”"
Peter's zeal became a hindrance!
Not because he did not have good intentions!
But because he chose his intentions over God's Plan for Jesus' Life!
"Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”"
"TAKING UP OUR CROSS MAY SOMETIMES REQUIRE US TO SURRENDER OUR MOST NOBLEST INTENTIONS!"
"IN ORDER TO KEEP THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE TRUE MESSAGE!"
"THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!!!"