A Brief Thought on Carrying our Crosses

Whichever passage in the synoptics you read it in, Christ's call to people to take up their cross and follow him is a stark commandment. Here is the passage in Luke's gospel:

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his crossdaily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamedwhen he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:23-27)

Christ is here murdering our self-justifications: what God wants from us is to try our best; it is our heart that counts; I keep the whole law!; and the ways in general that we compartmentalize our lives. Christ's call is total. There is no equivocation here. He does not stutter and he is not apologetic about what he asks. There is no hedging. Cross. Everyday. Unashamed. 

Part of me reads this and gets excited; part of me reads this and is filled with dread. I want so badly to lay down my life for Christ, to put sin to death in my life, to live for his glory, and the prospects of a life lived in service to those ends is exciting. I dread this passage because I am so terrible at doing all of those things. Most days I think nothing of the cross, nothing of the strangeness of Christianity and the humiliation of following Christ.

In this passage in Matthew's gospel Peter takes Jesus aside after he has foretold his crucifixion and rebukes him telling him that there is no way this can happen. God wouldn't let something bad happen to someone good, right? In response, Jesus calls Peter Satan. The cross is how we come close to Christ. This perverse symbol of human depravity is what cancels our depravity. We cannot remove the cross and its shame. We cannot remove the real blood and the real death that stands at the center of our confession. 

I think that along with excitement and dread this passage ought also to induce in us a great sense of gratitude. The way of Christ is the cross; the way of the Christ-follower is the cross. True. But by God's mercy the work of the cross is counted toward us, the righteousness of Christ is imputed as our own. 

Human Toby reads this passage and thinks, "No freaking way. I cannot do this. I cannot lay down my life like this, I can't shoulder a cross everyday. I can't give up my life everyday." And God in his mercy says, "You're right. That's the point." Jesus does what we could never do. Our Older Brother laid down his life everyday before he laid down his life on the Day. Our older brother shouldered a cross everyday before he shouldered the Cross. And we, in the great transfer, have been crucified with him and we no longer live. And our life in this flesh is lived by faith, including the faith to believe that we are both to take up a cross everyday and that our Lord has given us an easy yoke and a light burden.

I am so grateful for the cross.