Following JesusНамуна

CARRYING THE CROSS

Jesus said that if anyone wants to follow Him, they must be willing to take up their cross and follow Him. Most misunderstand this teaching as being willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel. But if we consider the context and the words that Jesus used, we see that he is not speaking of suffering, but death. The cross was an instrument of death, not of torture or suffering. That’s why Jesus speaks of saving or losing your life in Matthew 16:25, not of suffering.

What does it mean to lose your life and to find your life? I paraphrase the verse as follows: ‘Whoever fulfils all their dreams and ambitions in this life will lose their life in the next, and whoever gives up their dreams and ambitions in this life will find their life in the next.’ But are dreams and ambitions wrong? No, they are not. We all need dreams and ambitions. It’s the source of the dream or ambition that makes it right or wrong.

When the source of my ambition centres around me, my achievements, my reputation and my security, it leads to loss of life in the next. When the source of my ambition comes from the sufferings of Jesus, then I get life in the next.

What are the sufferings of Jesus? We see a few illustrations in the Bible. In Matthew 25:31-46, it was defined as the suffering of the poor and the needy within the church. Since I cannot have one nature within the church (of being generous) and another outside (of not being generous), it means that if my ambition and dream is to reduce the pain in the world, I have salvation. It is not about me, but about others.

I then see my profession and working career in terms of the blessing it gives to people, and how it makes life easier for people. The whole direction of my life at work changes from self to clients and team members.

For too long, we have seen carrying the cross as suffering for Jesus. It is time we got a more positive perspective of being a blessing for Jesus. Jesus’ suffering was vicarious and not suffering for the spiritual benefit it brings. Let all our striving be vicarious and for the benefit of people. This can only happen when we die to self and live for Jesus.

What ambitions drive you today?