DENY ONESELF & TAKE UP THE CROSS
Matthew 16:21-28
What is the most important decision that you have ever made in your life? Maybe
your answer is similar to others. Some would answer: going to college, choosing jobs,
getting married and applying for green card. Of those listed, which is the most important?
Let's see what crucial decision the disciples of Jesus took. He says “If anyone
would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This is
a very difficult decision to make, but that is what every follower of Christ must do.
There are three actions of importance in this passage; and they all require decision
making. There are three tasks for us: to deny oneself, to take up the cross and to follow
Jesus.
1. To Deny oneself
What is self-denial? Denial could mean ignorance and irresponsibility. Even though
Jesus? disciples have lived and served for quite some time with Jesus, apparently their
understanding of Jesus as the Messiah was inaccurate. Their understanding is very
secular, just as accused by Jesus about Peter's.
For Jesus, what Peter did was an obstacle. That is why in verse 24, Jesus clearly
said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me.” The word “anyone” literally means anybody, without exceptions or
priority. At that time, following Jesus to his disciples meant following Him to
Jerusalem. But today, following Jesus is not about going to Jerusalem, but about self
sacrifice.
“Deny oneself”. Another translation of “deny oneself” is “put aside your selfish
ambition” (NLT). Jesus never asked us to live ascetically when He said this. He does
not prohibit us from eating certain types of food. Neither does He want us to torture
ourselves. Self-denial means to have the courage to say no to “certain habits” that we
usually could not resist, due to our pleasure in doing them. But now we can stop our
old habits, especially because we have denied ourselves.
Someone once said: The first man: Cannot sin, After the fall: can naught but sin,
After Grace: Can not-sin.
To live in denial means to live a life of actual change. To remember the past is
very embarrassing if now we are together with God. But, he who denies himself to
follow the Lord must leave his horrible past. In the past we live like a criminal, or to
be crude, like a “bastard”. But once Jesus said: “Come follow me”, everything of the
past must be cast away and left behind.
2. Take up the Cross
The original root word of “take up the cross” could be translated as carrying or
raising the cross. Many exegetes translate it to “carry” or “lift”. Why does it say take up
the cross? This is certainly different today, the cross is considered as ornament, worn as
necklaces, earrings and some may even be inappropriate like when attached to the belly
button.
The cross is actually one method of executing capital punishment used by the
Romans on criminals. The cross was an instrument of slow and painful death. Romans
usually use cross to punish slaves or foreigners. One with such punishment must take up
his cross or at least the horizontal log to the location of execution. In Jesus' time, the
citizens often publicly view those crucified, as a representation of the fate of believers.
So when it is said to follow Jesus is to take up the cross, that means there will be
suffering and probably even death (martyrdom). If this really happened, do you have the
courage to face it?
3. Follow Me
The word “follow me” in Greek means “behind” (Matt 10:38). Apparently to follow
Jesus, there are two very important conditions. They are nonnegotiable and you cannot
bribe your way through. That is why even though the young man who came to Jesus was
rich, he went home with nothing because for that rich young man, Jesus' command was
very difficult. Matthew 19:22 (NIV) “When the young man heard this, he went away sad,
because he had great wealth.”
To follow Jesus in this world could mean “To be a discipleship”, “To be His
follower” or “They go with Him”. So one can imagine what will be done by a follower of
Christ, most likely he will: - - - - - - - - -
Leave his job
Leave his parents
Leave his siblings
Leave his house
Leave his wealth
Leave his friends
Leave his girlfriend
Leave his hometown
Leave everything
All these conditions are not easy, right?
What can we learn?
A follower of Christ must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Jesus. Have
you taken this risk? Leave everything that you like and cherish? Those who like to lie, or
to smoke are asked to stop lying or smoking. Then he must direct his life to full
obedience to the Lord, go to church, read the Bible daily, pray and contemplate the Word
of God.
Billy Hybes in his book “Becoming A Contagious Christian” said that believers
who want to effectively share the meaning of their lives must take risks: sacrificing time
and energy, working and studying harder, donating more money, being rejected by others
and facing many complications in life. This is the task of a true believer.
On the other hand Billy Graham said: “Salvation is free, but to be a disciple, there
is a cost that must be paid, that is: everything that you have”. This is often misunderstood
by Christians. Many think that if salvation is free, then a believer may lead his life freely.
This is even more reinforced when on Sundays, priests preach that God is Love, making
it seem that He won't punish us. While in fact God is also Just; He is indeed competent to
give us the punishment that we deserve.
William Borden graduated from high school in 1904, so as a token of his
appreciation, his dad sent him around the world accompanied by a follower. Bordern, the
founder of millk Borden gave his son a Bible to read during his travel with the hope that
it will become a source of inspiration in his preparation to enter college. On his journey
around the world, William responded to God's call so that he could leave his business
career that actually promised great success, to spread the Gospel. He wrote five sentences
at the front page of his Bible. -
NO RESERVES –
William entered Yale University and he was influenced by Samuel Zwemmer to think of
people who have not received Christ. William felt that God called him to work among
nonbelievers in China. He told his family that he would not continue their family
business after finishing his education at Yale, instead he will offer his life to reach for
souls. He added four more sentences on that front page: -
NO RETREATS –
After finishing his education at Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary,
William went to Egypt to study Arabic as preparation for his ministry. Within a year of
his arrival, he got spinal meningitis and passed away not long after he turned 26. His
mother went to Egypt to get his personal belongings, one of them was his Bible. And she
saw three additional phrases in his Bible; -
NO REGRETS –
What this world needs is a generation of believers of great character, with such motto:
“No reserves, no retreat, no regrets” That means whenever, wherever and in whatever
condition we are in, we will always follow Jesus. Pardon me, but may I ask: Are you
ready to do that?
Self-Reflection:
1. Do you suffer following Jesus? If yes, how could you survive till this day? If not,
what is the evidence?
2. Have you ever sacrificed anything for the Lord Jesus? Why were you willing to
do so for Christ? What you think Lord Jesus should give you as reward for that
sacrifice of yours?
