Tuesday 10th June
Read Luke 9:23-27
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.’” (NIVUK)
We can easily translate ‘deny oneself’ into ‘exercise self-control’. If we forego some of the good things in life and make personal sacrifices that is what it means to follow Jesus obediently.
That may be true, but it is not what Jesus is saying here. At the heart of following Jesus is the expectation that we give our life up in the service of others. It is not missing out on some luxuries, or limiting the number of holidays one takes, it is burning one’s life out for Jesus.
To daily take up the cross is to choose death, to surrender one’s own life, for others. It has little do with self-control or self-denial and all to do with service.
