Deny Thyself

In Mark 8:31-33, Jesus informs his disciples that he is about to suffer many things, be rejected by the leaders of Israel, and be killed. After three days he will rise again. Peter, expecting the warrior Messianic King, does not like this news and he decides to pull Jesus off to the side and rebuke him. In turn, Jesus rebukes him in front of all of the disciples. Then Jesus has some interesting words for all who are thinking about following him…

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Jesus has just told them that he will give his life for the sake of the gospel. Now, he tells all who want to follow him that they must be ready to give their own lives for the sake of the gospel. “Deny ourselves”… our lives are not our own. If we, in an attempt to save ourselves, choose a life of comfort, ease, security… a life without risks… then we will ultimately lose our lives. However, if we are willing to sacrifice our lives for the gospel of Christ… living dangerously, courageously, and boldly… then we will ultimately live forever (immortality at its finest). Jesus’ message to those who would follow him, “Life without Jesus and the gospel… zero dollars. A life lived following Jesus for the sake of the gospel… priceless.” Erwin McManus nailed it when he described accepting the call to follow Jesus as living “the Barbarian Way.”

It is high time for us to step out of the comfort and complacency of our Sunday morning experience and truly live. We must stop waiting for people to take a risk and come to us. Jesus asked his followers to take the risk. Jesus asked those who would follow him to step out in faith. Jesus was crucified because he was seen as a threat to Jewish leadership of his day. His movement was making waves. People wanted to follow the way of Jesus rather than the ways of old. I have to ask myself, very convictingly, is the Christianity of today a threat to the leadership of today? Actually, the leadership of our world today is stomping out Christianity. Why? It is happening…slowly but surely. What are we as Christians going to do? Will we sit in our pews comfortably every Sunday and Wednesday offering our sacrifice of praise? Will we live our lives quietly minding our own business, afraid to disturb someone else with our Jesus? Will we continue to tell others that if they want Jesus they must come to us?

I often like to dream about how this world might change if we actually understood what Jesus meant when he said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me (to death)”… parenthetical words are mine, of course. I am just as guilty. I sit in my office each week preparing for the next class or the next sermon. I realize that at the end of the day… I have risked absolutely nothing for Jesus or his gospel. What have you risked today?

I will close with these words from Thomas a Kempis… “Jesus has many who love his kingdom in heaven, but few who bear his cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share his feast, but few his fasting. All desire to rejoice with him, but few are willing to suffer for his sake. Many follow Jesus to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of his passion. Many admire his miracles, but few follow him in the humiliation of the cross.”

May the Lord grant me the strength and the courage to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow him. May I live dangerously for the sake of Christ and his gospel.