<h3>JESUS MAKES AN HEROIC CHOICE</h3>
<p>On their way to the villages of Cæsarea Philippi Jesus asked his
disciples, "Who do people say I am?" They told him, "John the
Baptist; others say, 'Elijah'; some say, 'One of the prophets.'"
Then he said to them, "But you yourselves, who do you say that I
am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." But he strictly
charged them to tell no one that he was the Christ.</p>
<p>Then Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must suffer
many things and be rejected by the elders and high priests and
scribes and be killed, but that after three days he would rise from the
dead. This he said openly; and Peter tried to reprove him. But
Jesus turned and, looking upon his disciples, reproved Peter, saying,
"Away with you, Satan, for your mind is not on the things of God
but of men."</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him, and said
to them, "If any one wishes to follow me, let him forget himself,
take up his cross, and come with me. For any one who is thinking
only of saving his life, will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my
sake and for the sake of the good news, will save it. What does it
profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? For what
could a man give in exchange for his soul? Whoever is ashamed
of me and my teachings in this sinful world, of him I will be ashamed
when I come in the glory of my Father with the holy angels."</p>
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