Carrying the Cross

It’s a joy to follow after Jesus when He puts on the hat of Saviour and provider of all good things in life but it’s another thing entirely to follow after Him when sacrifice is required.

Luke 14:26-27 NIV
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

These are difficult words to process. Jesus is saying: unless there is a willingness to let go of that which is precious to us, that’s another way of saying “sacrifice”, we are not truly following Him. Because the very things we love and treasure greater than our love for Him will pull us away from Him. You either get tied to a string that pulls you toward Him or a string that pulls you towards something else–you can’t be pulled in more than one direction without sacrificing your limbs! Yet, in saying that, Jesus pointed out the way to have it all.

Matthew 6:33 NIV But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Unless you are willing to lay down your own life for him…that’s what the cross represented…you “cannot be His disciple”. That’s some hard words to digest and process!

Jesus isn’t literally saying give up everything, rather He’s driving home a point: to follow Jesus properly we must be prepared to give up that which is most precious to us! Here’s some key thoughts to draw from this passage:

1. THE HARDEST THING TO GIVE UP IS LIVING FOR SELF GLORY AND SELF GRATIFICATION.
Why is self glory and self gratification so bad? Well, aside from people seeing us as complete jerks, when we are chasing after our own pursuits we are no longer chasing after His pursuits. There are pursuits acceptable to man that are not acceptable to God. The self-pursuit of man is diametrically opposed to the pursuit of God. Chasing after non-God sanctioned pursuits just gets you tired. Chasing after His pursuits is easy because He wants you to succeed–it was His idea anyway and it’s in His own best interest to make it happen!

2. YOU CAN’T FOLLOW WITHOUT A CROSS.
A cross is a cross no matter which way you look at it. It’s difficult, it’s hard and it’s a place of death.

THE CROSS IS UNIQUE TO EACH PERSON. It’s a personalised cross: notice it says “his cross” as opposed to Jesus’ cross. You can’t carry His cross any more than you can carry anyone else’s cross; you can only carry the cross tailored for you. That cross knows your evil desires. It knows what tempts you, what you treasure, what you fear. You can deny that cross. You can pretend it doesn’t exist. You can try to create a custom made cross with velvet padding for added shoulder comfort and pine wood to make it extra light, manufacturing crosses God never designed for you. But if it’s not yours, you’re not really carrying the cross. The cross is not pretty. The cross is not a crowd pleaser or a crowd magnet. It is a personal journey, a personal choice, a personal sacrifice.

3. THE CROSS IS A PREREQUISITE FOR FOLLOWING JESUS.
“anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

No cross = no Jesus! No cross = no entry! You cannot identify with Jesus unless you become like Him. Resembling Him means: love what He loves, hate what He hates. The cross is the key to discipleship. Without the cross there is no forgiveness of sins. Without the cross there is no death to sin. Without the cross sin continues to master you.

4. THE BEGINNING OF DISCIPLESHIP IS DEATH TO SELF.
Until every trace of selfish gratification and desire is gone, you are in no position to be able to share with anyone else let alone give your life to Father God. Discipleship is a personal journey that no one can choose or decide for you but its returns are divine!

Now is a timely reminder to ask yourself the question: Am I carrying my cross today?