Jesus rebukes Peter so harshly in this week’s Gospel precisely because the temptation Peter holds out is so alluring, so deceptive, and so insidious: “You don’t have to do the hard thing. You don’t have to take this faith business so seriously. You don’t have to give up your own rights, privileges, and comforts. You don’t have to die.” No, we don’t – it’s true. There is most certainly a spectator version of Christianity out there, and plenty of people decide to live it.  But let’s not pretend for a moment that it’s the version Jesus calls us to. Let’s not fool ourselves into assuming that sideline faith will grant us safety, immunity, joy, or blessing – because it won’t.  Those who save their lives will lose them. And those who lose their lives will save them. That’s the truth Jesus proved when he died and rose from the grave.