A lot of us carry crosses. They hang around our necks, dangle from bracelets or our ears. Some of us even have them tattooed on our bodies in various forms. We wear them for fashion, to remember something, or be inspired by it. But I'd venture to say that most of us don't carry a cross in the way Jesus carried his.
We don't find fashion or remembrance at the center of Jesus' motives. We find a purpose that was far greater than any of us can bear. Jesus is the Son of God and his purpose on this earth was to live perfectly, die humbly as a sacrifice for all mankind, and to defeat death, hell, and the grave in rising again on the third day. Finishing this mission would serve to provide all with the free gift of salvation, redemption, forgiveness, acceptance through adoption, and eternity in heaven.
It is of no coincidence that we find a cross at the CROSSroads between living perfectly and rising from the dead.
My thoughts today are spurred by Luke 14:27 "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."Jesus is addressing a large crowd of people and in the verse before this one has just told them that unless the love they have for their father and mother looked like hate in comparison for how much they love him, that they cannot be his disciples.
To clarify my thoughts on this, let me define a disciple. Disciples are identified by people who ask 2 questions: What is Jesus saying? and What do I about it? The first requires the humility to sit and listen. To not be a know it all. To quiet your heart. To allow what Jesus says to challenge/strengthen/inspire your very core. The second question determines how you will live out what you hear. It sets a path and will require abandonment of self as you embrace God's plan for your life.
Living in such a way will make people look at you differently. Some reading this even now think I'm referring to brain washing. Not at all. I'm speaking to a humble submission to the lordship of Jesus in your life. It says "you know best and I will trust you."
Back to the lecture at hand, Snoop. Jesus just blows their mind with the kind of love they are to have for him.That unless it looks like what you call love for your parents is hatred in comparison to how you love him, then we can't be disciples. This means that I can love mom and dad, but love Jesus all the more. So much more in fact that mom and dad might be a bit jealous of my love for Jesus.
Does that mean I neglect mom and dad? By no means. It means I love them, but love Jesus in a way that surpasses the love I give them. That my trust, allegiance, submission must be greater to him in all that I do.
Now to the verse that has me going today. Jesus continues to shock the people by leading them to a place that most would have turned from - the cross. Today, we have made the cross an image of inspiration and hope, but in Jesus' day, the cross meant horrific things. It meant death. Death in the most brutal of manners. One that before dying included public shaming and a breaking of one's will through flogging.
And here Jesus is telling these people that to be a disciple meant to carry a cross. They would've known what that meant. A person carrying a cross was a dead man walking. They had been condemned to die. To take up your cross would be the last time you walked this earth. As you carried your cross, the whole city would turn out to shame you, spit on you, and hit you. They would try to trip you as you carried your cross.
But this life is exactly what Jesus was calling us to as disciples. To willingly pick up our crosses daily and follow him would mean we are dead men walking. Dead to rights. Dead to self. Dead is dead. And to do so willingly. Not that someone would make you pick up your cross, but that you would take it up yourself to follow him.
Carrying your cross will require you to give up self. It means to see what Jesus is doing and follow. That's what disciples do. It doesn't mean we have to like it. Even Jesus wasn't a fan of dying on the cross. In the garden he prayed for God to work out man's salvation another way if possible. And yet at the end of that prayer we see Jesus carrying his cross by saying "Your will be done, not mine." He put his own desires on a cross and nailed them there to die.
This is what we have been called to follow. To live out crucifixion of self. It means reading challenging passages like Luke 6 and doing it in life. One of the regular challenges for me in Luke 6 is to "give freely to all who ask." But I want to retort and say, "But Jesus, you don't know my friend. He doesn't work. He plays X-Box all day when he could be looking for a job. And now he's asking me for money again." And yet Luke 6 rings clearly... there is not stipulation that says "give freely to all who ask, unless they are bums. Then you can deny them." It says to give freely to all who ask.
In this one example we see how the gospel is at work in us. We were sinners and still are, albeit now we are forgiven. But when we came to Christ with our hands out, looking for something free, he didn't look at us and say, "Nope. You made these sinful choices. You live with them and the hell that comes with them." He loved us and in that act of love he forgives us and in response to that act of love we came to love him.
How amazing would it be to look at your friend and give with no stipulations. To love with complete abandon of agenda. To love without requirements. My friends, it would turn the world upside down. Giving like Luke 6 says could show your friend Jesus. It would show him love. That kind of love cannot be done outside of crucifying yourself.
My challenge to all who are reading is become obedient to the gospel and to realize that by doing so does not earn you gold stars or an A+. Becoming obedient and taking up your cross is something that all will see. And when they see it, when they come to know the love of God at work in your life, they will never be the same. They will see Jesus. And to me, there is nothing greater that I can do for others than to show them Jesus.
I am praying for those of you that will decide today to take up your cross. I'm also praying for those that are carrying their cross. You may feel pushed around. People are trying to trip you up. Persecuting you for your faith. I'm praying for you and rejoicing with you on your journey. Keep it up! Guard your heart and minds in Christ. In return, I ask that you pray for me. Just because I'm a pastor doesn't mean I'm Super-Christian and can do this alone. I covet your prayers.
If you have made it this far in this article and have never made a decision for Christ, I'd love to pray with you or talk about it further. Email me at Aaron@SimpleChurchOhio.com. Jesus is the single greatest love you will ever know. Let me introduce you to him today.
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