Observation: Jesus talks about what it really means to follow him, which is to place your faith in him above all else, including family. However, he uses this phrase - that believers must "take up his cross and follow" him - as one of the ways of proving faith and being worthy of Jesus' love. It is difficult to understand the meaning of this term.
The cross refers to crucifixion, and it was part of that death sentence for the convicted to carry their cross to the spot of execution. It was big and heavy, and the exertion of effort was a final insult ... it was hard work done in futility, as the end result would be painful death anyway with no reward for doing it well, so to speak. Jesus himself would do this after being heavily flogged. The term to 'take up the cross' could be foreshadowing that refers to believing in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, but that interpretation doesn't really fit.
The way Jesus is using it seems much more direct and personal, yet also metaphorical. So this seems to mean that disciples must laboriously carry some hardship, even though doing so is difficult and with no benefit, as an act of faith. That hardship might be the negative ridicule and contempt from society that comes with faith, as Jesus has touched on how others - even family - will reject believers to the point of conflict. Or the hardship may be some issue that is unique to each individual ... a specific element of harm and pain that enters ones life as a result of faith, and the faithful must simply bear that burden instead of seeking ways to cast it off (as such ways would involve diminished faithfulness).
This term - to "take up one's cross" - has been used so often by so many teachers and pastors as the catch-all phrase for problems in life, that such teaching only convolutes Jesus' meaning more.
Application: While sometimes I would rather skip over this lesson of Jesus, and chalk up the phrase as I have heard it from pastors - a simple metaphor for life's hardships - I feel that Jesus meant something much deeper and personal, and it would be valuable to figure it out.
If this is a way of saying "people will randomly hate you when they learn you're a Christian" ... well, I get that. I've experienced that. I encounter some level of negative interpersonal interaction caused by this dynamic at least weekly, and sometimes daily or more. And yea, it hurts, and it hurts less when I receive Jesus lesson that this is both normal and is part of identifying as a worthy follower.
However, I also wonder if there isn't some unique issue that is upon me as a result of my faith, and I need to simply 'suck it up buttercup' and carry it with me every day. I can think of a couple big items in life that have altered my life, and which I am confident happened because of reaction to my faith. I can do nothing about these, so I should just acknowledge that I now carry them with me. When I dwell on how bad they were/are, nothing changes other than my mental health, so while carrying them his hard and futile, dwelling on that problem is equally futile. I would do better overall to simply carry the cross, and accept the blessing to come as a faithful believer.
Prayer: Lord, may I take up my cross daily and follow you. I don't think I truly and fully understand your lesson in this, but I also know that understanding is not important. Rather, simply following you despite all else is the task at hand. I do so today, and every day. Amen.
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