Carry your cross - by Ben Bonython
And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
NT Reading - 11 April - Luke 14:7-35
After Good Friday, carrying your own cross as Jesus says in v27 seems a whole lot harder and costly and unappealing in every way.
From the text, I picture a large crowd of ‘spectators’ just watching Jesus, as the crowd…. followed the crowd. Have you ever noticed how a crowd seems to attract more crowd? Being with Jesus was exciting, healings were taking place, Jesus was going toe to toe with the religious elite and what He was doing and what he said inspired the downtrodden and heavily laden, as well as the well to do. Yet Jesus was not interested in drawing a crowd. From this text, it seems Jesus was interested in the crowd not just watching, but following Him in complete humility - the sort of humility that looks like the cross - being a disciple.
Being more aware of what Jesus did as he carried His cross should be an awful reality check for us and cause us to think about what it means to carry our own cross.
Consider for a moment that most things we do is within our power and our capacity and our timing. We give out of our surplus. We help out of our spare time or time that suits us, time that is paid for or time that we allocate to such activities. The way of the cross offer no such use of power or capacity or timing.
Like those Jesus was speaking to, hearing Him and watching Him - are we like the crowd too?
Much of our time spent just being a spectator to the work of discipleship?
Not actually using our faith, but just watching others?
In the crowd, but out of earshot of Jesus, no longer hearing His words?
If we are not carrying our cross, how can we be a disciple?
Jesus is reminding us that to be a disciple is a costly and active lifestyle because as we remembered yesterday, the cross demands not just part, but our whole life. If the Christian life is like salt v34, then taking up our own cross is the only way to remain salty. What is the point of salt-less salt?
Jesus gave His life for us. Our desire is to not just follow but be disciples and give our lives for Him. Let us do anything it takes for Jesus, in humility and not for honouring ourselves. Let us do anything it takes to invite others to the banquet table of Jesus. Let us realise that the cost of following Jesus is our own lives and let us rejoice that our life is written in the Book of Life.
Is Christ really enough for us?
“Let those with ears use them and listen!” v35