MATTHEW 16:24-28 – Then Jesus told 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 will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Today’s scripture is a familiar one. It appears in all the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). Our Lord is defining with clear, detailed, and simple language the three requirements to be a follower of His. In identifying them, we also are confronted with the high cost they place upon us to truly be disciples of the Lord Jesus.  Let’s consider each one after the initial broad invitation by our Lord.

Jesus tells His disciples that no one is excluded in His call to follow Him. What a gracious act on God’s part!  No one earns the right to be a disciple but everyone is given the opportunity to be one. Jesus made no distinction. He extended the invitation to all – If any would come after me. Never fear rejection from Jesus. If we want to follow Him, the invitation is there but beware of the cost. And that leads to the requirements themselves.

First to follow Jesus begins with self-denial.  This means doing battle regularly against our greatest spiritual foe – us. Self always wants to have preeminence. Self always screams, “Me, me, my will not Yours be done.” And Jesus doesn’t allow for any deals being made between His will and ours.  To deny self is to consistently refuse or reject any effort to draw more attention to ourselves not Jesus.

The second requirement is to embrace suffering – take up His cross.  Remember the purpose of a cross. It is the instrument of death. It is personal and each would-be disciple must choose daily to die to the will of self, the desires of self, and place the interests of Christ and others as guiding compasses in life. And this is no small conflict but must be fought if we are to be disciples.

Finally, if one would be a follower of the Lord Jesus there must a consistent commitment to obedience to His commands – and follow me.  Obedience is the way we affirm our love for the Lord.  He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). But not just any obedience. It is an obedience based on affection and commitment to the will of God. And it just makes sense.  If Jesus is Lord, and we, His subjects, then following His instructions is natural.  After all, that is what followers do, they follow, paying the necessary cost to be a follower.

PRAYER: “Father, help me not grow weary with the high demands placed upon me to follow Your Son.”

QUOTE: “It cost Christ everything for us to be Christians and it will cost us everything to live the Christian life.”