And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23 KJV
The Context:
Jesus had just fed 5,000 men, beside women and children, with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. There were 12 baskets of fragments and pieces left after all these people had eaten. If that didn't make an impression on the people, I don't know what else could have. In fact, in another account, the men came looking again for Jesus, simply because of the bread they had eaten. We have to be careful about focusing on the signs and not the Person; we can get carried away by the edible, audible and the visible, forgetting that God does not always move by that which our human senses can fathom.
He had to ask the disciples this question about His identity. Men had seen Him perform miracles, yet they did not know Him. They saw the acts but knew nothing about the Person. This is the danger of our generation: a lot of words and knowledge about the subject of Christ, but very little personal experience of the Person of Christ. Just like the people of Jesus' days, we admit He is great, but He is only as good as what we can get out from Him. He then asked the disciples who had walked with Him for some time: who do you say I am? Peter's response is the basis of the establishment of the foundation of the church: Christ is the Messiah, and in and by Him, all men can stand. Outside of Him, there is no assurance of a good end. All who come to Him are accepted, and all who surrender to Him enjoy the fullness of all He is and has.
The Message:
Why, then, is today's extract important? For all who want to know this Christ, you have to consider very carefully what you are getting into. It is not a decision to be taken lightly or carelessly; eternity lies at the end of your decision. What does this decision entail:
1. The Choice: IF: the invitation to come is open to all men everywhere; no favouritism. All who come are accepted. It is a decision no man can take for me; even if I am forced to come in, can anyone run my race for me? So, IF I seek to follow this Christ, I am the one to make up my mind to come to Him. He has done all that is required; He won't compel me, but He will also not strive with me forever. While there is time, I must take the step; tomorrow is not assured. Though Jesus was addressing the disciples here, we know He speaks to us too today: weigh it properly, and decide what you want to do. But decide quickly; you don't have forever.
2. Deny himself: all that I think makes me special must be left at the foot of the cross. All the things that make me tick must be surrendered to the superiority of the knowledge of Christ. All that men applaud about me must be surrendered. Is there anything that I think is too special to give up for Christ? That thing may be the greatest hindrance to all that God intends for me.
3. Take Up his cross daily: the taking up is a daily activity, not weekly, monthly, yearly or periodically. Every day I am given, I must pick up my cross. The cross is a place of total surrender, where all I desire is all that please God. There is no room for selfish interests or personal agenda; it is first and foremost all about what God wants. Can this be said of me? Is there anything I am struggling to give up? Is there a part of me that can't submit to the authority of Christ over my life?
4. Follow Me: this part will not make sense without the points above. Men want to follow Christ because they want the power of the name, but not abide by the requirements of that name. Men want the benefits without paying the price. How do I truly follow a person who I do not recognise as a worthy leader? How do I follow a person I do not know? Maybe the reason why so many people fall away from Christ is because they never knew Him in the first place. They came in because it was the popular thing to do, or because they had a problem that needed solving. If that is all that brings me to Christ, it is not likely I can stand the test of time.
The Response:
So, what is expected of me? This is an individual decision; got nothing to do with public affirmation or acceptance. Men of the world may laugh at you in scorn or derision, but consider eternity: forever and ever. Do you want to allow a fellow human being like yourself be the hindrance to your eternal reality? Is there anything of value down here that can be so important that you will risk losing heaven over?
Remember, all of earth's treasures will end up in fire, so while I am still on earth, I use the earth's resources to take care of myself and God's work, but I do not hold tightly to them. They must not take root in my heart, so that they do not take my eyes away from God. When my race is run and I get to the finish line, I will appear before God with nothing, except that which I did with Jesus. So, what is it that is written down for me? Where do I stand? His time of favour is here.
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