Taking Up Jesus' Cross - Matthew 10:38

Matthew the apostle shared how Jesus told His disciples, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty-eight of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples about, “he that takes not his cross” where we read:

And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me.

The verse reads, “And he that takes not his cross, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and he that takes not” or “and the person whether male or female who does not lay hold of, carry, claim and procure” “his cross” which means “the person's well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment which was borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens themselves”. Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples about the person who does not “carry and procure” His own“cross” of “self-denial” or “death to self”.

The verse continues, “... and follows after me, is not worthy of me.” Matthew continues with the words, “and follows after me” which means “and joins as well as accompanies Jesus as one of His disciples”, “is not worthy” or “is not befitting, congruous or merited” “of me” which means “pertaining to Jesus”. Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples that people who do not “accompany” Him as a “student, pupil and attendant” do not merit Him.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how valuable the idea of “taking up their cross” is when it comes to relating to Jesus. God Almighty desires to have a loving relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and He allowed Jesus to come and die for the sins that separate people from God. The “cross” to bear is one of “self-denial”, and refusal to “die to self” and not “follow after” Jesus makes a person unworthy to have a relationship with Him. Those who are wise will examine themselves to discover whether they are carrying their “cross” and “following after” Jesus who alone is able to provide “everlasting life”.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus told His disciples, “he that finds his life shall lose it” Him, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.