Devotional The Disciple’s Cross

Luke 9:23-27 “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23). It is not easy to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is an expression that is popular today that gives me pause and concern. It says: “Too Blessed To Be Stressed.” When I read this or hear it said I wonder if people really know the cost of discipleship. Maybe they don’t really know what stress is. Maybe they are in denial. Maybe it’s just people saying what they hear others say and they want to be a part of the in crowd. Regardless, the absence of stress is not a part of the disciple’s life. Paul expressed this in his writing to the churches while he was in prison. In Philippians Paul speaks of the stress caused by his anxiety because he is having difficulty deciding if he would rather continue living for the sake of the ministry or dying to be with the Lord. In the Corinthian letters Paul mentions the many hardships that he had faced in his ministry. Obviously, Paul experienced a lot of stress. Christians should not be surprised that their walking with Christ is often stressful. Jesus tells the people that the Christ must suffer, be killed at the hands of the elders, chief priest, and scribes. He will be killed, but He will be resurrected the third day (Luke 9:22). Likewise, His disciples must be ready to bear their cross also. The cross represents suffering and even death. The disciples are willing to suffer like their master. They are promised life after death if they suffer for the sake of Jesus and His words (vv 24-27).