Replies

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:24,25 RSV

We use the term to carry one's crosses sort of glibly, but let us take a moment to think about the context here. In Jesus' day, one would occassionally see an execution procession, where the victims were tied to the heavy crossbeams that would be used to execute them with, as they were marched to the place of execution where the uprights were placed permanently.

These were heavy beams, around a hundred pounds or so, and normally they would tie the victim's arms to it as he walked.

Here, we see Jesus saying, "Take up this load willingly. If you think you're going to save your life in the long run by running away from this burden, you will not, and you will lose. If you take it up and follow me, even though it looks like you are going, burdened, giving up, to a place of loss, you will find your life."

To repeat that, Jesus says:

Follow me if you want to live.

Deny yourself, and reject those things the world says are good, but God says are not.

Even if the world thinks you are burdened and a loser, you are not.

Those who follow the world will find themselves on the losing end.

Don't think it's just going to be a cakewalk. We're talking about giving up and accepting something contrary to the world's wisdom, and that can make it seem very heavy.

Jesus demonstrated this in a very literal way, by taking up his own cross, suffering and dying, and then rising on the third day. But one of the truths about being a follower of Jesus is being willing to give it all up for the glory and love of God. How we are asked to do that giving varies, but the giving is implicit in the relationship. If you are not willing to take up one's cross, you can't really follow Jesus the way he asks.

Prayer:

Each step, that day, O my Jesus, how hard it was,
that last, painful walk through the crowded holiday streets
beneath a burden incredibly hard to bear,
one foot following another,
a countdown you were born for,
each step one less to the time when you would walk no more
before tasting the depths of death.

Watching you in mind's eye, O my Jesus,
so many years after,
when the reality of this moment is doubted by so many in the world,
in my heart, seeing your blood and sweat streaked face marred beneath your thorny crown,
I contemplate your words, "Come to me, you who are heavy burdened," and know,
that as I watch you walk that short but o so long march
from the place of condemnation to the place of execution,
what weighs more on your shoulders than the hundred pounds of wood strapped to your arms
is the weight of so many sins,
my sins,
the griefs of a sin-drenched world
the darkness gnawing at the center of untold hearts,
a load you carried willingly
so that we might find rest.

O my Jesus,
may I, in my remembering,
learn to follow in your footsteps,
walking the road beneath the cross you give me
with as much love and willingness as my wavering heart can muster
for the love of the walk you took,
this day and always.

Amen.

Each step that day, as the crowd pressed in,
How hard it was for You, burdened with a dark world's sin,
that last, painful walk through Jerusalem's dust,
beneath a burden incredibly hard to bear, but bear it You must -
step by aching step, one foot following another
a countdown You were born for, while others thought to smother
Your light, Heaven's light, beneath a rebel's death
Each step that day a struggle of muscle and breath
each step one less to the time when you would walk no more
before tasting the depths of darkness that would open hope's door.

Watching you in mind's eye, O my Jesus, what you did so long ago,
the reality of that moment doubted by so many who think they know,
in my heart, seeing your blood streaked face marred beneath your thorny crown,
Your mother's tears, the bored soldiers, the impatient centurion's frown,
I contemplate your words, "Come to me, you who are heavy burdened," and know
that as I watch you walk that short but hard march, each shove and blow
from the place of condemnation to the place of execution,
That your death was a gift, the choice was God's solution.

O my Jesus, may I, in my remembering that day, that gift,
learn to follow in your footsteps in gratitude, and let you heal sin's rift,
walking beside you on the road from death to life beneath the cross you give me;
teach me to bear its burden well, as a treasure, graciously
with as much love and willingness as my wavering heart can muster,
And forgive me this day, if I forget and stand and whine and bluster
Because I love you for the loving walk you took -
Bring it to my mind daily - help me stand and look!

Amen.