Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. Matthew 16:24-25
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30.
The two quotes above are both from the Gospel of Matthew but they seem almost contradictory. Most of us are drawn to the second quote about the easy yoke of Jesus but somewhat repelled by the first quote which instructs us to take up our cross and follow the Master. Most sermons seem to present the idea of taking up our cross as living a life of self-denial – you know…no desserts, pray and fast instead of watching the Superbowl, give all your discretionary income to missions rather than taking your family on a vacation, no cable, drive a twenty year old Honda with peeling paint, etc.
Many give the passage a flavor of asceticism which was first a Greek philosophy that suggested that the way to peace and spiritual enlightenment was to be totally unconcerned about the body or the material universe and only think about the spiritual realm or learning to the neglect of health and hygiene. Although Paul agrees that we should set our minds on things above, he would not support ignoring our physical needs or even refusing to enjoy some material blessings from the Lord.
The Greeks believed that the body and even the material universe was evil and was simply a prison for the soul. The biblical view is that God created us body, soul, and spirit and we should steward each part with care for his glory. The revelation that Jesus attended wedding celebrations and even contributed to the wine supply erases the notion that denying ourselves means that we should become hollow, gaunt zombies who deny ourselves any pleasure or enjoyment in this life and whip with wires ourselves to bring the flesh under control.
Many non-Christians have a view of our faith as joyless, cold, somber, and humorless. That view probably comes from stereotypes related to an ascetic Christianity which some Catholic monks practiced in the past. Even Martin Luther as a Catholic monk in his younger years slept naked in the snow to subdue and discipline his body. The practice ruined his health and plagued him for decades even as the great reformer.
But if “denying ourselves” does not mean that sort of no frills, suffering lifestyle, what does it mean? The word translated as “deny” is aparneomai. It means literally to “say no,” or to “transfer allegiance.” In an article entitled “What Does Taking Up Your Cross Really Mean?” from the Navigators web page, Bill Tell says that it means to “refuse to follow.” Jesus is simply saying that we must transfer our allegiance from ourselves to him. We no longer come first, he does. We no longer follow ourselves as master but we will follow only him. It really is the old axiom of stepping off the throne of our own lives and letting him assume the position of Lord. I am simply refusing to follow myself as Lord and Master of my life any longer. After all. I usually make a mess of things anyway.
That sounds more in line with the other teachings and practices of Jesus but then what does it mean to take up my cross? Those with ascetic leanings would interpret that phrase as living a life of suffering just as if we were hanging on a cross. Most teachers assume it means to die to ourselves which is a very biblical principle and is very consistent with denying ourselves. In his article, Bill Tell has an interesting take on it. He says that those in the first century world would understand the idiom to mean that we are taking a one-way journey from which we will not return. Perhaps that journey will also include others persecuting us or ridiculing us as those who lined the streets when Jesus marched to his crucifixion.
Jesus often spoke of a disciple as one who refuses to turn back or even look back once he becomes a follower of Jesus. In the mind of Jesus, following him is all or nothing – no double- mindedness for the true disciple. The unexpected turn is that Jesus called that life a yoke that is easy to bear. How can it be easy when we are committed to a one-way trip that may involve persecution and ridicule? How can it be easy when we are constantly having to resist our own inclinations to be in charge?
What I find true in my life is that I need resolution to conflicts, especially internal conflicts, in order to be at peace. Uncertainty, second-guessing, and internal debates rob our peace and our energy. To simply decide without reservation that this is the rode I am taking and that Jesus is driving, is an easier and more peaceful way to live than other options. Not only that, but when I am totally sold out and allow Jesus to be Lord of every part of my life, I gain his help and strength in every circumstance.
Life is hard when we withhold slices of our life from Jesus that we still want to govern. To do so not only creates an “off limits” area for Jesus so that we are on our own in that part of our lives, but it also opens the door to Satan so that he has access to kill, steal and destroy. Those unsubmitted places in our life become an open door and an invitation to the enemy. Not only that, but when we are totally submitted to Jesus, he is responsible for the outcomes rather than us. The pressure of “making it happen” no longer weighs on us through sleepless nights because our role is to obey and his is to “make it happen.”
Simply said, Jesus is inviting us to renounce ourselves as king and let him rule. He is also inviting us to commit to a one-way ticket and to take a journey with him from which we will not depart. He promises to fit us with an easy yoke because peace comes from letting him direct us and allowing him to bear the responsibility for the outcomes. When we were children, our role was to be obedient to a father. His responsibility was to protect us, feed us, clothe us, and pay the bills. If he was a good father and capable of work, we never had to write a check. We never had to defend the family. We never had to drive through blizzards on icy roads. In fact, we probably slept through the trip because dad was at the wheel. We had peace. That is the life Jesus is calling us to rather than a life of deprivation and self-imposed suffering. He is calling us to an abundant life and I think that is good news.
