Jesus said a lot of radical things but I think when it comes to its implications for our lives perhaps the most radical was a personal invitation He gave to everyone of us. (including you)

HERE IT IS

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'” Luke 9:23 (NIV)

Jesus invites us to follow Him but is up front that we can’t do that without a cost. In that verse from Luke, He lays out the path to discipleship:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

This invitation challenges the norms of our culture and our own self-centred tendencies. Jesus requires a paradigm shift from us. He is telling us that following him requires a reorientation of our lives towards the way of Jesus, the ways of the Kingdom of God.

Put most simply, to follow Jesus means to deny ourselves. It’s an ongoing process of releasing our grip on the pursuit of self-sufficiency, and self-centeredness. In a world that tells us to prioritize personal gain and fulfilment, Jesus calls on us to surrender our desires to His greater purpose. It’s an invitation to die to our selfish ambitions and so allow His life to flow through us.

Jesus command us to take up our cross daily if we are serious about following Him. The cross symbolizes sacrifice, suffering, and selflessness. Jesus is being upfront here and telling us that following him will not be a comfortable, pain-free journey. Discipleship in the way of Jesus requires us to embrace the messy reality of life, to stand up for justice, to love the difficult to love people, and to love those in need sacrificially.

As we follow Jesus in His upside-down Kingdom, we will also discover that true greatness lies in servanthood. Jesus teaches us that the last shall be first, and the meek shall inherit the earth. He calls us to love our enemies, bless those who persecute us, and turn the other cheek.

In summary, following Jesus means incarnating his teachings in your flesh and blood.

Doing that will challenge our natural instincts, but the paradox is that generations of disciples have discovered that it lead to the very freedom and transformation we long for.

Following Jesus is not about religious performance or striving for perfection. Following Jesus is about entering into a vibrant relationship with Him, experiencing His love and grace, and allowing His Spirit to shape us from the inside out.

It’s about being authentic, embracing our brokenness, and extending grace to others.

As we journey with Jesus, let us remember that we are not alone. He calls us to follow him in the company of others. The Holy Spirit will be with us empowering us, guiding and comforting us along the way. We will find strength, courage and inspiration in the community of disciples, the church, as we gather with fellow travellers, sharing our joys and struggles, and spurring one another on towards love and good deeds.

I encourage you to do what I am committed to doing, to embrace afresh the upside-down path of following Jesus.

 Follow Jesus.

 Embrace self-denial, take up your cross, and surrender your life to His transforming power.
Allow His love to flow through you, impacting those around you.

As we follow Him my prayer for us as a church is that our lives reflect the radical love and grace of our Savior, as we participate in the radical but beautiful, counter-cultural movement of the Kingdom of God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the invitation to follow You. Help me to deny myself and take up my cross daily. Transform my heart, that I may love as You loved and serve as You served. Fill me with Your Spirit, that I may live in the freedom and joy of Your Kingdom. Guide me on this upside-down journey of discipleship. In Your name, I pray. Amen