Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For
those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life
for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole
world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and
then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are
some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man
coming in his kingdom."[1]
“Take up
his cross and follow me!” What did that mean to people of the early
first century? To answer the question of what, “take up his cross and follow me,” meant
to people of the first century, or even what it might mean for believers down
through history, can only be answered through the events that took place before
Jesus made that statement. I am annoyed by the dribble of some commentators,
who see only explanations that supports their concept of Church. But aside from
them, there are a few who don’t impose their own bias on the passage. I will
endevour to be as objective as I can. It appears to me that the section in
which the statement occurs includes more than five verses. For instance the
previous three verses:
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter
took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This
must never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get
behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your
mind not on divine things but on human things."[2]
These verses are related to the verses preceding them.
Jesus asked the disciples who they thought he was, Peter was
quick to speak up. He announce that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus told Peter that
he was going to be foundational in the kingdom. A short time after that, Peter
took it upon himself to assure Jesus he would not have to suffer, that surely
God would prevent anything like that from happening. “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling
block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human
things.” Perhaps the key to “taking up the cross” is within Jesus’
rebuke. Then, immediately following Jesus’ rejection of Peter’s attempt to prevent
his purpose, Jesus addressed all the disciples, “if someone desires to
accompany me…” Those were his disciples, but like Peter they didn’t necessarily
understand Jesus’ purpose. Jesus outlined the need to mature from disciple to
companion. There was to be a shift from learner to practitioner. Jesus in
today’s vernacular could have said “this is where the rubber hits the road.”
From a rock that was to be prominent in the foundation of
the kingdom, to a stumbling block; -Satan!? Such a precipitous plummet in such
a short time. Jesus denounced Peter’s objection saying “you are not setting your mind on the things of
God, but on the things of man.” Then to all the disciples he said, “If someone desires to accompany me, let him disown himself and lift up his cross and join me.” Perhaps Peter’s objection to
hearing that Jesus was to suffer and die frustrated his idea of what should
happen, or maybe, how he saw himself in the proposed kingdom. Denying self and
carrying a cross, is the antithesis to setting your mind on human objectives.
Peter was not alone in holding ambitions attached to the kingdom. The Mother of
James and John, request favoured seating for her sons in the kingdom. The
disciples argued among themselves as to which of them was greatest in the
kingdom. They were neophytes in spiritual matters, apprentices to the Master. With
his approaching death, Jesus had to bring his disciples up to speed in a hurry.
Personal ambitions had to be set aside, commitment to God’s way had to be fully
accepted and understood. Carrying a cross can be symbolized by Jesus’ burdened
walk out of the city to the place of crucifixion, but more expressly his living
to die. The act of joining Jesus meant to bear the burden of persecution and/or
death while doing God’s will.
A facet of the cross which impacts our understanding is the
curse of any one hung on a tree or piece of wood.
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death,
and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree,
but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed
of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you
as an inheritance.[3]
Paul makes mention of this in his writing:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for
us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"…
It must be noted that hanging a condemned individual on a
piece of wood was not the method of execution. The executed individual was hung
on a tree to demonstrate the enormity of his sin. Added to what has been said
about carrying a cross is the aspect of being cursed; aligning oneself with the
ignominy of Jesus’ death. The author of the Hebrew letter pictures Jesus as a
sacrifice.
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the
sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the
camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify
the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear
the abuse he endured.[4]
Peter reflected the attitude of many, if not all, of the
disciples –aspirations of personal benefit in the kingdom. The disciples needed
to “get with the program,” because their minds were on self-centered tracks. “If any want to become my followers,
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Considering that Jesus was speaking to his disciples, does
what he said apply to people of later ages? While there was a more intense
expectation of his disciples due to the fact that they were thrust into the
turmoil surrounding Jesus’ murder. As his disciples they were all suspect, and
lived in fear of reprisals. The specifics of Jesus’ requirements of his
disciples differs from what is expected from believers later in history. The
principle of Jesus’ admonition apply to all people; “if someone desires
to accompany me, let him disown himself and lift up his cross and join me.” A principle that often seems to be
missed the need for a transition from learner to practitioner. The author of
Hebrews addressed that issue with his audience;
…you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you
ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of
the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on
milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But
solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by
practice to distinguish good from evil.[5]
Sitting in Church is not being joined with Jesus in his
purpose. There is value to sitting in Church if one is learning and growing
spiritually, but at some point you have to get up and participate in the
purpose of Jesus. In Paul’s words, Jesus “died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for
themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.”[6]
You don’t join with Jesus in his purpose by doing, but by living. Jesus could
have stayed in heaven with all the security and blessing around him, but
honouring God’s will, he came to earth and lived among people. That’s where he
wants his disciples –among the people who need God’s grace and love. From
Jesus’ teaching, we will be judged by our interactions with people. In Church
you may be under or near an ornamental cross. However, it is in your community
that you shoulder the cross of Christ. Among your neighbours is where you are
to demonstrate God’s love and grace given to you by Jesus’ death upon a cross.
The simplest definition of “denying oneself” is living for
Jesus without thought of personal gain. Which would include doing things to
improve one’s chances of heaven. Spiritual maturity begins with a complete
unambiguous acceptance of salvation through grace. Being a child of God has
nothing to do with Church affiliation, or Church in any way. I am not saying
this to disparage Churches, or to suggest nothing good comes from going to
Church. I believe the word of God makes it clear that I have a personal duty to
honour God and Jesus, by living in the world reflecting love and grace. Again,
from the apostle Paul, “…it
is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me.”[7]
That is what we must all endeavour to achieve.
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