Carrying the cross...


This morning, as I was praying and listening to Scripture, I was confronted again with Jesus' strong words about being His follower recorded in Matthew 10:


37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 10:37–39). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

Whoa. Take up the cross - that's rough. His disciples knew that this meant death. In fact, scholars estimate that the typical Roman crossbar used in crucifixion was anywhere from 50-100 lbs. Ugh.
In following Jesus, we may face disapproval from family and friends, but even more than this, we face the end of life as we know it. That is a tall order.

So I wonder, what does Jesus want us to hear today in those statements? As a follower of Jesus, what does that mean to you? To take up the cross. Matthew records a few chapters later, Jesus stating,

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 16:24). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

What does it mean to take up your cross today? If we are struggling to know what that looks like, let us go to the Lord in prayer today, asking Him to reveal that to us.

Lord, empower us to take Your words and put them into action today.

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