Matthew 16:1-12; Mark 8:11-26;
Matthew 16:13-28; Mark 8:27-9:1; Luke 9:18-27;
Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36
And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Luke 9:23-26 (cf., Matthew 16:24-27; Mark 8:34-38)
These are some of Jesus’ most challenging words. They are so challenging that we have a tremendous tendency (and capacity) to immediately water them down. We interpret “denying oneself” to mean “foregoing dessert” occasionally or maybe avoiding chocolate during Lent. Or we think of “taking up one’s cross” as merely putting up with difficult circumstances.
So let’s see if a little paraphrasing can jolt us back to reality: “If anyone would come after Me, let him utterly renounce himself and take up his electric chair and follow Me…”
We all have to die. The only question is whether we die when we draw our last breath on this earth or whether we instead choose to die now, well ahead of that point of physical departure. And yes, it is a daily choice.
See also: