If Any Man

And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  Mark 8:34 (ASV)

Nobody wants to be called negative.  Nobody should be exclusive.  It is just not popular to say “this is for me, but not for you.”  But it depends on what we are talking about.  We could do it to put ourselves higher.  We could do it to lower another person.  Or, like in our text, we could lower ourselves and set ourselves outside of the race.

This famous text is not given to separate us and set us above other people.  This text does the exact opposite.  It separates, it is true.  But the purpose is not to elevate.  The man or woman who is moved to action by this text directly and purposefully places him or herself under everything else.  We deny our very selves.  We pick up an object that will mean the death of us.  We set out on a labored journey under our burden of death to this world.

Few people today seem to push the weight of texts like this.  We prefer to tolerate a thing called “Self.”  We dance around with words so as not to offend “Self.”  We do not want to cause “Self” any grief.  We do not want to reduce “Self” or harm it in any way.  So we protect our “Selves.”  We pamper our “Selves.”  We talk in colorful words.  We speak of positive things.  We do whatever we can these days for fear that our “Self” does not get upset or hurt.

Then Jesus´ words come strange to our ears.  He calls us to do the opposite.  He wants us to set this most important thing to us aside.  He wants us to deny “Self.”  He wants us to take up the cross where “Self” needs to hang.  We need to have that handy in case “Self” needs to do some more dying.  Then we must step out to follow Jesus.  We need to go the completely opposite direction that the old master, “Self” was leading us.

The exclusive part comes because there are not many who are willing to do this.  We are too attached to “Self.”  We have been doing whatever “Self” wanted to do for a long time now.  We have an intimate relationship with our “Selves.”  Everyone around us is bowing to their own “Self.”  How could we be any different?

Yet Jesus insists.  For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel´s shall save it. (Verse 35)  We can hold onto the life of “Self.”  We can protect it from pain or hardship.  But to choose to save “Self,” we exclude ourselves from having part with Jesus.  He wants us to be with Him.  But we cannot bring our old master along too.

Sadly Jesus allows us the choice of which master to follow.  We can bow to all the things our “Self” chooses for us in this life.  Or we can choose to bow to Jesus.  But we cannot have both.  We can have only one Master.  Let us choose Him.  Only He knows what we truly stand to gain.  He has gone to great lengths to try to help us understand.  He has suffered much to show us the importance of our decision.  He let us torture and kill Him to show us His love.  He went that far to show us that what He has for us is the better choice.

Dear Jesus, we would like to have You for our Master.  We have been under the oppression of a selfish one.  We have served our “Selves” for too long now.  Give us a sense of urgency.  Then provide the strength to separate, crucify and leave behind that old master.  Help us shoulder our own cross so that “Self” cannot rise again to lead us off.  Set our feet firmly in Your footsteps.  Let us follow You beyond the grave.  Let us follow You to the Father.

Amen