When Jesus appointed the apostles, he gave them the power to heal and to drive out evil spirits. They had left all they had to follow Jesus.
Yet, Jesus does something which most of us will hesitate to do when we try to influence people to do something. He warns them of the difficulties of discipleship. Jesus speaks of carrying our cross, which in his time, meant the worst possible torture and humiliation. What made the apostles persist in following Jesus? Was it due to the miracles he had done? It is possible that they didn’t quite understand what Jesus meant. But most likely, they felt the love of Jesus and were inspired by his words and deeds.
Do we put Jesus at the center of our life? Do we make decisions based on our discernment of the will of God? Oftentimes, following Jesus means going against worldly standards, and facing uncertainty. For instance when we experience being insulted or put down, do we try to seek revenge, or remain indifferent to the person who offended us? Or do we try to see what we can improve in ourselves and choose to love?
We are called to stand up for what is the more loving thing to do. The difficult people in our lives are often the ones who help us see our shortcomings. Jesus has already shown us His mercy by forgiving us first.
The cross in our lives can be anything which causes us to feel anxious, hurt, angry, or unsettled. Jesus promises to be with us in every situation of our lives. It is only when we choose to accept and embrace our cross that we find peace, because Jesus helps us to see our cross as a means to love God more, and to be more like Jesus.
Hopefully, we will all continue to praise and thank God even in the midst of trials and even suffering.