Taking up a cross of your own. Reflection on Luke 9:22-25

A child may from time to time ask how we get to Heaven. Responsible parents shouldn't paint a "pie in the sky" everyone gets to Heaven picture for their kids but more of an explanation in an age appropriate way as they can comprehend. No, not everyone get's to Heaven. We can't tell them who doesn't, and who does. That's up to God and God alone. But we can paint some hypotheticals for them. In the Gospel reading on the day after Ash Wednesday, Jesus is telling his disciples how He's going to have to "suffer greatly". How He will be rejected by the leaders of Judaism. Then he tells everyone that in order to follow him they are going to have to endure the same thing as he will.

Luke 9:22-25

'Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."

Then he said to all,
"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?"'

I was all in until the part where he talked about denying myself and taking up my cross. You lost me there Jesus. That's usually where we run into our stumbling blocks on being true disciples of Christ. We want Salvation. We want eternal happiness. But we don't want to have to do anything hard to get there. No where in the Bible does Jesus say, just be a good person and you're in. No where does he say, just say a few magic words and you're in. Nope. He's always talking about us having to do things. Things like, having faith. Believing. Being baptized. Confessing Sins. These are all things we have to do. And today He reminds us that we must take up our cross. What does this mean? It's different and unique for each and every one of us. What my cross to bear is different than my wife's cross to bear. It's different than my co-worker's. For some it's an addiction. For others it's an attachment to sin. To bear it, means to deny ourselves to the sin that cross represents. To deny ourselves is to say "no" to our desires, our temptations, our sins and to say "yes" to Jesus' obedience to Him. That's what it means to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

Thought for the day: Am I willing to let go of myself for Jesus? Am I willing to suffer with Jesus?