Jesus said to His disciples – “If
anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow Me. For whoever would save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will
save it. For what does it profit a man
to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words
in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be
ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (St. Mark 8:34-38 ESV)
With these words Jesus has issued a
call to discipleship — “If anyone would
come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Jesus is not looking for mere believers,
though belief is the first command. Christ
has called for those who believe in Him to serve and follow and obey Him … even
to take up our own cross as His disciples. Christ also told us – “The servant is not greater than his master.” (St. John 13:16)
Christ has issued a call to put
everything on the line for the sake of following Him, and to follow Him with
the logic of discipleship, not the logic of this world.
“For
what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his
life?” These questions can be asked (and answered) only in light of
the gospel, only in the light of Christ.
Listen: Follow Christ with all your
heart for the length of your days. Lose
your life to save it. Take up your cross
in the name of the One who died on a cross for you. Be not ashamed of Christ, and He will be unashamed
of you. Live every day in anticipation
of the coming of the Son of Man in the glory of His Father and with the holy
angels.
As Christ Himself has reminded us
all — What do you have to lose? For the
sake of Christ, count it all gain … count it all joy.
Rev.
Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling
Memorial Chapel
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