Mark 8:34 - One Simple Sentence from Jesus
“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” - Mark 8:34 NLT
How does my modern, western ‘Christian’ walk compare with just this one, simple sentence from Jesus?
If any of you wants to be my follower — We have to want to follow Jesus. That might seem obvious but how much do I really want to follow Jesus 24/7? This also does away with the notion of predestination or that we don’t have to make a conscious choice to be a follower of Jesus and that being sprinkled as a baby somehow makes me a Christian.
you must — This isn’t a suggestion or one possible option.
give up your own way — When someone looks at my daily words and actions, how I live my life minute to minute when I think no one is watching, how much do they see that I’ve given up my own, worldly way? Really.
take up your cross — Discomfort is not optional for a follower of Jesus. (It’s actually not optional for anyone living in any way. We often seem to overlook that…) This does not say ‘find a place and way of life that is as physically and mentally comfortable as possible and sit there’. In my experience that describes the vast majority of the Australian Church. We are so incredibly ‘comfortable’ we don’t even realise it. Yes, I’m talking to you — and me!
follow me — This means to both follow Jesus’s example in how He lived in general and also to go where He specifically leads me individually. A very simple summary of how Jesus lived is that He went around doing good and spreading the good news of the gospel. Would someone observing me for a week describe my daily life the same way? Am I open and looking for Jesus to give me specific directions daily? When He does do I go?
That’s just 1 statement from the hundreds Jesus made while on earth. Do you think we, as the western Church and as individuals might need to change?
How does your personal walk compare to that? Mine definitely falls short. I’m so grateful I have seen that because now I can do something about it. Will you join me?
