Taking Up One's Cross
- Mike Rydman
- Oct 2, 2008
Taking up One's Cross
I've read this several times in the past, but not been sure what it means:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
Matthew 16:24-28
These are the words of Jesus, just six days before the Transfiguration. Some scholars believe Jesus said "some would not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom" as a precursor respective to Peter, James and John witnessing Jesus transfigured and standing with Moses and Elijah in a glorified state. If the appearance of these two Old Testament saints is evidence of anything, it is that we can trust Jesus' promise of life after death for those who love Him.
However, it has always been the earlier statement Jesus made in the passage, "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." In some high church circles taking up one's cross means literally carrying a wooden cross, usually during the Easter Week, through the city as a physical and experiential means of identifying with Jesus in His Passion. Some adherents have even allowed themselves to be nailed to a cross! (Not for me, thanks.)
There seems to be a progression here: first the denial of self, then the taking up of one's own cross, then following the Savior. It's as if we have to put down something of ourselves before we can take up the cross and follow. What is that "something"?
Context so often is helpful in determining the meaning and practice of any Scripture. In this case, reading some of what comes before this particular passage sheds some light.
"From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ‘Never, Lord!' he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!'
Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.'"
Peter did not want to hear about His Lord suffering and dying, leaving Peter and the others to fend for themselves. Peter liked things just the way they were, and his agenda was that things would stay just that way. Jesus, however, saw the conflict of two agendas, the agenda of heaven, and the agenda of self-serving men. That's why Jesus saw Peter at that moment as representing the agenda of Satan.
What is the cross each of us is called to carry? The cross is that to which our own desires and agendas are nailed to die. Denying oneself apparently means giving up our own plans in order to be retrofitted with the plans of the Father through "following" His sovereign agenda for us.
The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once said, "God creates everything out of nothing - and everything which God is to use He first reduces to nothing." To what extent have you or I experienced this?
Somehow, in our age of personal empowerment we have confused this, even in the minds of believers. Robert Wuthnow said this:
"At one time theologians argued that the chief purpose of humankind was to glorify God. Now it would seem that the logic has been reversed: the chief purpose of God is to glorify humankind. Spirituality no longer is true or good because it meets absolute standards of truth and goodness, but because it helps me get along. I am the judge of its worth. If it helps me find a vacant parking space, I know my spirituality is on the right track. If it leads me into the wilderness, calling me to face dangers I would rather not deal with at all, then it is a form of spirituality I am unlikely to choose."
Jesus didn't call us to a nicer gig; Jesus calls us to die. The cross is the place that represents the death of my own will, the part of me that wants to be comfortable, in familiar surroundings, in charge. It is the part of me that would deny the Lordship of Jesus Christ. My will runs in direct opposition to God Himself, and it must be nailed to a cross!
Richard Foster, in his book called Prayer said, "Do you know what a great freedom this crucifixion of the will is? It means freedom from the everlasting burden of always having to get our own way. It means freedom to care for others, to genuinely put their needs first, to give joyfully and freely. Little by little we are changed by this daily crucifixion of the will, Changed, not like a tornado changes things, but like a grain of sand in an oyster changes things. New graces emerge: new ability to cast all our care upon God, new joy at the success of others, new hope in a God Who is good."
In spite of the experience of ancient peoples, we view "crucifixion" as being tied to "resurrection." In dealing with our wills, God is not destroying our will, but transforming it so we can learn to will what God wills. "I want to want what Jesus wants" has become a new internal phrase for me these days. However, I've been learning through some hard experiences that my will and His will cannot coexist. It's one or the other; my way or His way. I want it to be His way.
Pray for me that I will daily relinquish my plans, dreams, methods and agendas to Jesus; allowing Him to put those things to death, however painful that death may be. I will pray the same for you. I know I would love to be a part of an agenda that works.