Calling the crowd to join his disciples Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” (Mk 8:34-35)
People must have thought Jesus was crazy talking about picking up a torture and death device to be his followers. The messiah was supposed to bring political freedom and financial abundance. Even Peter attempted to rebuke Jesus over the foolish things he was saying!
Later in scripture, the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
God chose to show his mighty power by becoming one of us and defeating the power of sin on an old rugged cross.
“And when I think of God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin”
May the Lord bless you and keep you today. May you grow more in love with the One who died and rose for you. May you lay all trophies at the foot of the cross and follow Him.
