April 18

April 18

Matthew 10:38 (NIV) [Jesus said,] 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Celebrating the resurrection of Christ has been the most attended Sunday around the world. Before I had a true relationship with the Lord, it was a holiday first and a solemn remembrance later. When that relationship changed, so did my feelings about Easter. I discovered a story about a man from the Philippines. He would carry his cross through the town. Others dressed as Roman soldiers accompanied him to place outside the town. There they drove four-inch nails into his hands and feet as they crucified him. He would do this every year, an act that has spanned 30 years. When I first read about him, I thought, “Surely this is not what Jesus meant.” After saying that, I realized I did not truly understand Jesus’s words.
As I thought about this, I realized that we can read His words without truly understanding them. We accept them but, without true understanding, we cannot put those words into practice. Those listening to our Lord understood the impact of those words. Carrying one’s cross meant one was willing to die for his/her beliefs, just as Christ died for His. For us, however, the true meaning can escape us. No, Jesus does not want us to carry a real cross and to be crucified. He did that for us. However, taking up our cross DAILY does mean we so believe in Jesus that we would die for those beliefs. First, we die to self every day so as we can follow His commands. We are willing to face the taunts, ridicule, insults, and attacks that we might follow in His steps. Taking up our cross daily means we live the reality of Resurrection Sunday every day, acknowledging that because the world rejected Christ, it will reject us. The only way we can escape this persecution is by putting down our cross and joining the crowd that mocks Jesus. Taking up our crosses in today’s world is letting the world know that for the joy set before us we will follow the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Who died and rose again.