Take Up Your Cross

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Take Up Your Cross

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38 (NLT)

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 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. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 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.”

Devotion:

            This scripture bids us to come and follow Jesus even to the point of death on a cross. But who is called to do this? Before giving this teaching Jesus invites the crowds to join his chosen twelve to hear this teaching. This teaching was for everyone, not just for religious “professionals”. It was for the poor as well as the rich. It is the key to entering into the eternal kingdom of God.

            To not follow this teaching was to waste your life here in the flesh and in the coming kingdom of Jesus. The original hearers of this saying would have understood Jesus commands here (and in the Greek they are commands) as a summons to death. The cross, to those who first heard this teaching, was an instrument of torture and death. Today the force of the word cross has been lessened as the cross has become a jewelry accessory to be worn when convenient as a decoration for our bodies.

            Most people today would never think of giving up their lives to follow a religious teacher of any kind. They might give some of their time or money to a teacher or a church. However, Jesus here is not asking us to give part time service to the kingdom. Jesus wants all of our being to be devoted to his service. He is not asking that we all sit around in church all day every day. Rather he wants us to take the good news that Jesus life, death, and resurrection really happened and that this world is now his and spread that good news to every corner of the world.

            There is nothing you can do that is more important than giving your life for Jesus. Most people will never have to follow Jesus to the point of shedding their own blood. However, it is becoming more and more difficult to avoid some kind of suffering or inconvenience if you truly follow the savior. My plea is that each of us will be bold to declare the good news about Jesus. That we would be found faithful in him.

Prayer:

            Lord hear our words today. Today we proclaim that we will follow your son regardless of the cost. Give us your power today that we may live out our words with action that will bring glory to your holy name each and every day. May we be more concerned with your name and reputation than our own. Help us to be a joyful people. May we see your cross for what it meant to you and not be ashamed to carry our own cross daily in this lost and hurting world. Amen.

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