...whatever that means. In the Sacred Space reading for today from Luke 9, Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."
I've been mulling over what "taking up my cross daily" means for me right now.
What does it mean, to "take up my cross daily"? What did it mean when Jesus Himself took up His cross? Partly it meant He actively entered into what He knew He had to do, even though it was not something anyone would choose for themselves.
In Luke, Jesus makes this statement directly after telling His disciples that He must undergo great suffering, rejection, death and ultimately resurrection.
So Jesus' words to me, to "take up my cross daily," follows on His words about His own suffering, His rejection, His death and His resurrection.
Do I seek the world's acceptance and success? Or do I seek to let go of my "control" of my life and give it all over to Jesus?
What do you think?
2 comments:
I was struck by the passive nature of what Jesus said he had to go through. He was to undergo suffering, be rejected, be killed, and be resurrected. There's so much "letting things happen" about it. I see Jesus very much embracing the limitation and lack of power that is such a drag about being human.
So, for me, taking up the cross (a sign of mortality and rejection) is learning to embrace that limitation and weakness, as a way of imitating Jesus.
Yes! It's accepting my own human-ness, as the Sacred Space book puts it: "my self, my ego, the pains in my body, my awkwardness, my mistakes," recognizing all of that and through that recognition more fully relying on God and God's power.
Thanks, Kris--
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