One of the most challenging things Jesus asked us to do is deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and follow Him. It is such a high calling.
The Weight of the Cross
I remember hearing a sermon at church on this topic, and my pastor gave us context to explain how serious this calling is. At that time, the cross represented death. It was an instrument of punishment for executing criminals. So imagine the feelings Jesus’ listeners felt upon hearing that. What feelings does this bring up for us when we read these words today?
When Jesus called us to do this, He began, “If anyone desires to come after Me…” (Matthew 24:16). Following Christ requires sacrifice because it shows genuine love and faithfulness. And God demonstrated the ultimate form of sacrifice for humanity by giving His Son, Jesus, who, completely innocent and blameless, died on the cross for you, for me, for the very people who persecuted Him, and for the world. Now Jesus asks us to sacrifice our will and desires to follow Him.
It is a high calling, and at the same time, God doesn’t expect perfection from us.
I think of Simon Peter, one of the twelve disciples, who denied Jesus shortly after His arrest and before His crucifixion. Peter was likely scared, and maybe even ashamed, when people accused him of being associated with Jesus. In that time, fear overwhelmed his faith, and he denied Jesus three times.
And yet before all this happened, Peter correctly recognized Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus blessed him and gave him the name Peter, saying, “On this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). After Jesus ascended to heaven, Peter became an important leader of the faith. Jesus knew Peter would deny Him and even predicted it. Yet He chose Peter, blessed him, and used him.
What’s important to recognize is that Peter repented after he denied knowing Christ; Christ forgave Peter, and God continued to use him mightily. We are not called to be perfect; we are imperfect beings that face temptation and sin every day. We are, though, called to make a concerted effort to place God above all else in our lives. When we do fall short, instead of hiding away, we return to God with a repentant heart. It’s a daily process.
The True Meaning of Self-Denial
When contemplating this passage in Matthew, I asked myself, “Do I deny myself daily? What does it practically look like to do this?”
As I mentioned above, Christ is the perfect example of what it means to deny oneself. Once He began His ministry, that became the focus of His life. He owned nothing, but traveled from town to town, doing the Father’s will and fulfilling His purpose, ultimately leading to His crucifixion. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knew His time was near. His soul was “exceedingly sorrowful even to death” (Matthew 26:38). He asked God, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus faced unimaginable suffering and knew it. Yet, amid deep anguish, He fully surrendered His will to the Father’s.
This is the ultimate example of self-denial: telling God, “Not my will, but yours.” Practically, it doesn’t necessarily mean we have to give up all our dreams and aspirations, but it does mean that if what we desire is contrary to God’s will for our lives, we must choose to trust Him and let go of that desire. It also means choosing to do what is right when our flesh doesn’t want to, like forgiving that person we’ve been begrudging, offering someone grace even when we feel like they don’t deserve it, sacrificing our free time to help someone else in need, etc. I know we’ve all faced such situations. It can be difficult sometimes, but this is part of our calling as believers.
Just as Christ sacrificed Himself in obedience to the Father and made a way for us to be reconciled to God through faith in Him, we too are called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
I pray that God reveals to each of us an area of our lives that we have not fully denied for His sake. I pray that He gives us the grace and strength to fully deny ourselves and the faith to trust that His will for our lives is stronger than anything we could accomplish for ourselves.
