Lk 9:22-25
22 [Jesus] said [to his
disciples], “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the
elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the
third day be raised.”
23Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”
Reflection:
Take up his cross daily. Jesus
requires three things of his disciples. First, deny self. Disciples are
not to live for themselves. They are for Jesus and, being for Jesus,
they are to live for others. To deny self is to have God as number one
and to give God all the glory.
Second, take up the cross. Jesus’
disciples are to carry their cross, giving up what they cherish most
and surrendering everything to God. They are to consider the cross of
Jesus as the fundamental feature of their existence, their life, their
hope, and their strength.
Third, follow Jesus. Followers of Jesus
fix their eyes on him, set their hearts on him, and offer their lives
to him and for his cause. They trace Jesus’ footsteps, speak his words
and relive his works.
These demands are not made of disciples
only once in while. These do not depend on their moods. Jesus
continually calls, and the response is to be made daily.
What hinders me from following Jesus completelyand committing myself unconditionally to him?
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