Take Up Your Cross and Count the Cost

Matthew 8:18-22, Luke 9:23-27, 9:57-62, 14:25-33, John 15:18-27

These verses are the ones most people dread to reach in their Bible study. I remember when I was in high school, trying to read the Bible and understand who Jesus was, and feeling unsure of how to respond to this command from Jesus to “take up your cross.” It felt extreme. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters ​— ​yes, and even his own life ​— ​he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Hate? We’re not supposed to hate right?

If we’re not careful, these verses can seem out of place. They can feel out of place from Jesus whose burden is light (Matthew 11:30) and who is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). But there is an essential truth here that we all must come to grips with; an answer to a question that we all must ask:

What does it really mean to follow Jesus?

The author of Hebrews speaks on this issue in Hebrews 12. In chapter 11 of Hebrews, the author writes a summary of the men and women in the Old Testament who lived into their faith in God, explaining how each of these people endured hardship and yet trusted God in how they lived their lives. In chapter 12, the author compares this lifelong struggle to a race that is endured, saying, “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

Joy was on the other side… Of a cross? Nobody considers carrying a cross on their way to death as a joy. Unless, Jesus knew something that no one else knew. Jesus endured a life of hardship. He was continually misunderstood and ridiculed. He was rejected by his family and friends from the small town he grew up in. His disciples dispersed and went back to their old ways of life within days of his death. And yet, Jesus took our cross with joy knowing that salvation would come to the lost and glory would be given to God. 

So, what does it mean to follow Jesus? 

It means to be misunderstood by the world. It means to be mocked and sometimes even persecuted. It means to love God with such intensity that your family and friends question your allegiance to them. It means to run a race that feels exhausting. To throw aside anything that gets in your way. To pick up a cross that feels heavy. And to look to Jesus who endured your punishment so you could be called a child of God. To feel the joy that comes from enduring hardship because salvation will come to the lost and glory will be given to God. 

The cost of following Jesus is high. The call of every believer is to love him and give up our lives in the process. But like Jesus promises in Luke 9:24: “...Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.” A life lost to the world is a life found in Jesus. Or in other words, losing your worldly life is worth gaining eternal life. 

What things do you struggle to give to God?

What is one step you can take to submit this to the Lord?

God, you alone have life. You alone are worthy of my allegiance. You alone are deserving of worship. Protect me from the lies of the enemy that would tell me that true life is found in this world. Remind me of your goodness. Remind me of your love. Would I run a race of endurance looking to you Jesus. And would I be exhausted but full. Thank you for the hundreds of others that pray this with me and would your Kingdom come in my city. Father, would your will be done in my life. Amen.