Matthew 10:38-39: "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
I find that this particular passage is often misinterpreted in mainstream Christianity. It is too easy to assume that Jesus is saying, to be a true follower of Christ, one must suffer under a burden of some kind.
When I was in high school, I would've believed this to be true. The idea of suffering for Christ is far from non-biblical, considering in this same chapter Jesus warns against the cost for following Him truly is. However, to "take up one's cross" does not mean one must pick up a daily burden of which to be a martyr. This is pride talking.
Consider the cross: in early 1st century Roman life, the cross was not looked at as a burden to carry. It was considered to be the very definition of torture, and reflected a death by the greatest means of pain and humiliation possible. Carrying the cross was salt in the wound, forcing convicts to bear their own execution device.
On the contrary, taking up one's cross was not a metaphor bearing a burden for Christ. I was the ultimate picture to express one thing: following Christ means being willing to sacrifice yourself.
This is not easy to understand, and it's even less easy to live out. Living a sacrificial life means that Christ comes before EVERYTHING, including one's own life, family, expectations, reputation, etc.
But, it's not all hardship. In the same breath, Jesus tells us that whoever loses their life for His sake will find it. True life, in abundance. The life that only Christ in grace can provide comes from a willingness to sacrifice. While many are called to do so, sacrifice is a heart issue first.
Jesus wanted to make this clear to the Jewish audience. Following Christ is of the heart and not works of the law. Following Christ means sacrificing one's self-schema, to lose one's life, in order to find it.
What do I hang on to that prevents me from enjoying the full abundance that is in Christ's provision of life? What does God call me to be willing to sacrifice? For me, today, I don't feel that it's an action step of "God, today I sacrifice this ____". Instead, my heart leans towards the notion of sacrifice as a life-style. To maintain a healthy perspective regarding what matters and what doesn't, and what blessings I have that truly don't belong to me. The list goes on and on.
Father, give me a heart of sacrifice that is willing to follow you despite the cost. Give me a heart of thankfulness in response to the truth that you bore my burdens on the cross once and for all, and that they are no longer mine to bear.
No comments:
Post a Comment