Lent 2 | CROSS
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34
What exactly does Jesus mean when he instructs us to take up our cross? If doing so is not simply the burden of human finitude: illness, a challenging family member, a tragedy or hardship, what does Jesus call us to carry? The cross taken up by Jesus leads to taking on the sin of the world, a sacrifice for others, a willing relinquishing of status, power, safety and security. Might ours entail such qualities, too?
We are not Jesus, of course. Some us hold great status, power, and security. Some of us hold little or none. And yet, all of us wield influence in whatever circles we inhabit. In our circles, big or small, do we actively choose to look past our self-preservation and risk own interests for the sake of the vulnerable, the oppressed, marginalized, and fearful?
Denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus may not be as dramatic as martyrdom, but it could be. It may be as simple and difficult as standing up to those with whom we are closest when solidarity with them would keep us safe. It could be advocating for those without a voice even when doing so alienates us from those in power. No matter the end result, daily standing on this three legged stool of solid Christian life prepares us to follow Jesus all the way to Jerusalem and bears witness to him along the route to all we encounter along the way.
Working for justice and being just, loving kindness and being kind, and walking humbly as we follow Jesus make for a life of purpose and joy, strangely synonymous with self-denial and cross-bearing.
Questions for reflection:
What are your spheres of influence? How are you using your influence in those spheres?
Do you own items of clothing, jewelry, or art with a cross? Why? What do those items mean or symbolize to you?
When have your denied yourself as an expression of your faith in Jesus Christ?
Lord Jesus, you denied yourself, took up the cross, and journeyed all the way to crucifixion in Jerusalem. We confess that we resist self-denial, we refuse to take up the cross that requires sacrificial love, we fail to follow when your way challenges our comfort and safety. Help us more closely, more willingly, more nearly imitate you. Amen.
Thank you for journeying through Lent with us…
Receive our Lenten devotionals by emailing info@theologicalhorizons.org.
Thanks to Jill J. Duffield for allowing us to adapt from her book, Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Ten Objects. Read the book and join us for a virtual book club discussion at 4pm on Saturday, April 3.
