Luke 9:23 (LSB) 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
There is an underlying truth in this verse that is incredibly powerful, and even confrontational, if we see it for what it is and what it’s really saying.
The problem with this verse, and others like it, is that we sometimes have a hard time recognizing it. And to be brutally honest, we sometimes don’t want to see it.
Why?
Because what they say demands a response from us. We must make a choice once we grasp the truth of the words Jesus was speaking.
Here is one of the other verses I am referring to.
Matthew 8:22 (LSB) 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
What do they have in common?
What is it that they are saying that is confrontational and so difficult?
They tell us very plainly that we must lay ourselves down; allow God to strip us of ourselves and make us wholly His own.
Some may read this and deny this truth. It is too difficult for some to acknowledge or admit.
But denying it does not make it so. It only shows us that we are not yet ready to embrace it.
Jesus made it clear to those who wished to follow Him that it would not be easy. Nor was it something they should take lightly.
Luke 9:62 (LSB) 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Anyone wanting further confirmation of this need only to read the various epistles of the disciples and they will quickly see that being a disciple of Jesus literally cost them everything; family, material wealth, social standing, relationships, and in many cases their freedom.
And in the end, it cost them their lives, with all but one dying a brutal death by stoning, crucifixion, beheading, flaying, or speared to death.
And John, the one who was not outright killed for his faith, died alone after being exiled to the island of Patmos for his faith.
Following Jesus wholeheartedly has a cost. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we are willing to bear that cost.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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