Take Up Your Cross

Text Matthew 16:21-28

Just what does it mean to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus? 

Jesus tells Peter and the apostles about what one must do be a follower of his:

“If any of you wants to come after me you should pick up your cross, and follow me!  Remember by trying to save your own life, you are going to lose it, but by losing your own life for my sake, you are going to find it.  After all, what good will it do if you acquire the whole world but forfeit your life?  Or what will you give in exchange for your life?”[1] 

Jesus uses paradox to get his point across.  A paradox is something that doesn’t make sense.  A paradox is something that is true even if you think it can’t be true.  A paradox is something that goes against common sense.  Curtis Almquist, a member of the Society of St. John the Evangelist explains that the word “paradox” has its source in the Greek.  Para- meaning other and –dox meaning glory.  The word doxology comes from this source.  “When we hear paradox on Jesus’ lips, he’s talking about the glory of God being revealed in a way other than what we might have imagined.”[2]

When we choose to become followers of Jesus we will pick up our cross, we will lose our individual lives, we will deny ourselves, and we will go against the grain of our consumer-driven, egocentric, society.  We will exist in a word become countercultural.  By going against the grain, living in a paradox, being comfortable with paradox, we will find something of greater value. 

Keith +

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[1] The Complete Gospels-Annotated Scholar’s Version, Robert J. Miller, ed., Matthew 16:26-26

[2] Holy Cross Day- Br. Curtis Almquist, http://ssje.org/ssje/2013/09/14/holy-cross-day-br-curtis-almquist/

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