So, today I was walking with my girlfriend, Hannah, around Islands of Adventure. We we're walking towards the Harry Potter World and we both notice a girl wearing a shirt with a cross on it, with multiple French words. I looked at her and I said, "I'm not so sure I would buy a cross shirt with words in a different language on it without knowing what they meant." She educated me on the first word that she saw (she took French in high school) and said that it meant "luxurious." She continued on to say that, "I'm not so sure why you could consider the cross luxurious. It's not. The cross is sad, and painful, but not luxurious." She's really smart by the way.
But isn't that so true? It got me thinking...
The cross wasn't meant to be easy. It was hard. Jesus has doubts about whether it really had to be done. You remember the whole, "If in any way possible, take this cup from me" thing? It wasn't convenient. Jesus died at a young age. He was only 33. His ministry only lasted 3 years! The cross wasn't easy for Jesus to accept. Yet, he was still willing to do it.
I've noticed in the recent weeks that we have made the cross into a fashion statement. All around the stores in our malls, we have shirts that have huge crosses on the front of them. We go to jewelry stores and get these extravagant golden crosses with real diamonds imbedded in the fronts of them. We decorate our houses with all different styles and patterns. Why? I think it is because the cross truly affects people whether they know it or not. I'm not trying to say that these things are bad. Anything that helps spread the name of the Lord cannot be bad. My mom loves to decorate our houses with crosses in the front, and I wear a cross necklace around my neck. I'm just trying to say that I think a lot of us, including me sometimes, forget what the cross means.
"Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever will 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 the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"" - Matthew 16:24-26
If you've grown up in church, you've heard these verses over and over and over again. You probably have them memorized for the sake of repetition. But these verses have power! Jesus is telling his disciples to take up their cross. Remember, the cross was a torture device in Roman rule. It was used for execution. That's some crazy stuff! He's telling them that the cost of following him is to take up a device used for executions! To carry that on their sleeve? These men must have been radical! 2000 years later, this verses means the same to us. Let's put it in modern terms though. Think of, "take up your electric chair" or "take up your noose." That's some pretty intense stuff. I wonder if some of us are really willing to take up our electric chairs and nooses for the sake of following Jesus. Sometimes I do the same, I'm human just as you are.
But what does it mean to take up these things of execution? Does it literally mean to put crosses over our necks and on our t-shirts to let the entire world know that we're a pretty little goodie-two shoes Christian? I'm not so sure. I think taking up your cross means to go to the point of execution for the sake of following Jesus. Remember, Christianity isn't easy. The cross wasn't easy. The road is narrow and long, and few take it. Jesus promised persecution. It's real life! Not necessarily in our 21st century American society, but in countries all around the world, people are accepting that status of "martyr" for the name of Jesus. Except our persecution is a little different. It means being able to accept that sometimes your friends will talk junk about you. Maybe you won't be able to go to parties as much anymore. In rare cases, sometimes your parents won't respect you following Jesus. (This is not my case. I'm blessed to have awesome parents.)
Remember today that the cross is not comfortable, first-class, opulent, or luxurious. The cross is bloody. Our Savior was murdered on the cross. The cross is agonizing, excruciating, and miserable. The cross was a struggle. But hope is not lost. The cross is the reason for our salvation. Like Lecrae says, "If Jesus wasn't executed, then there's no celebration." Celebrate the cross, not because it's luxurious, or comfortable, but because of the beauty in the ugliness of it. The beauty is like a father working extra hours to supply for his family, a mom quitting her job to take care of the child at home, or a person willing to tithe even when the finances are tight. Sacrifice is of the highest beauty, and Jesus sacrificed the highest price, his life.
Get off the cruise ship, and let's get on the battleship!
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