This episode of We Wonder is a contemplative devotional for the first week of Lent. Host Sarah Dahl introduces the season as a time to slow down and journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem and the cross. The week's reading is from Matthew 16:21-26, set outside Caesarea Philippi. Jesus explains to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer from religious leaders, be killed, and rise on the third day. Peter takes Jesus aside and scolds him, saying this will never happen. Jesus responds sharply, telling Peter 'Get behind me, Satan' and accusing him of opposing God's ways by focusing on human concerns. Jesus then addresses all the disciples, teaching that whoever wants to be his disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. He presents the paradox that saving one's life leads to loss, while losing life for him leads to finding it. The host guides listeners through an imaginative exercise, wondering about Peter's internal feelings and Jesus' facial expressions during this confrontation. She reflects on how carrying a cross meant walking to death under Roman rule. The episode invites personal reflection on how God brings life from loss and how listeners feel about this aspect of God. It concludes with a prayer to Jesus, acknowledging his self-emptying love and inviting listeners to join in that way. The devotional format includes pauses for contemplation and questions for personal engagement with the scripture.
