Luke 9;23 (KJV)
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
This is going to be, pretty much, a confession.
Admitting a bit off the top, I failed to retain this bit of information just this morning, before starting this blog post. The neccesity to remember that this is Christ speaking is seriously paramount when you attain to study (to break this down), and put this into action. So, let us get a VERY GOOD understanding about this particular verse, and maybe you and I (mostly I) can readjust a few ways we operate to show more of Christ and less of ourselves.
First, Christ leads in with the condition "If". Stop right there. My Grandfather used to say, "If if was a fifth, we'd all be drunk." What does it mean? It means exactly what Christ meant when He began his statement. "This, what I am about to say CAN BE DONE, but you will have the freedom to do so or not." That is what I imagine Christ would say in today's time as he begins to give out this information. The important part that touches my mind about the "If", is that the word all by itself tells you that you are known to not maintain a position 100% of the time, and that the knowledge of that will not stop the information from going forward. Stop. Take the time to ponder that....
So now Christ says, "If any man WILL come after me". I capitalized the word 'will' for the effect because we, as those who would say we ARE following after Christ, have to stay in constant remembrance that this is our decision; active; constant. Again, why Christ begins the statement with the word "If". You do not have to 'come after me'. Kinda stings don't it? Someone knowing that you just might lie, to yourself, and say you will but knowing the whole time that you flounder at the thought of actually moving. Question: Why didn't Christ just let us off the hook and say, "You might be able to come after me"? I suspect (me thinking) it is because Christ knew, as you know, the power to 'Just Do It' IS within all of us. We have to make up our minds to access it. See, being strickly personal (transparent), I fall in and out of this ability to access quite frequently. Now it ain't all Summer Blockbuster Movie big, but I do, from time to time, run back to the place of "If" and point to it like, "Christ, you did say if." That's just me being honest about me. Prayerfully you all are examining yourselves. Moving on.
In the next part of Christ's statement, I have to give the key word in the Greek. "let him deny himself". Why do I get the mental picture of a fly avoiding a place like some repellant is on it? LOL Yup! That word, alone, brings about all manner of PRIDE having to be slain. And, if we admit it, we have allowed pride to become that secret friend, with benefits. Pride gets the benefit to claim all victories where we didn't desire to allow any other person to "SHINE" over the top of us us. That is why this part of Christ's statement violently tears away at our core being. Because Christ says that in order for us to 'come after Him', we are not only going to have to maintain constant desire to do it, but we are going to have to "DENY" ourselves while doing it. Now, that word deny, in the Greek, aparneomai (ap-ar-neh'-om-ahee), means: to deny utterly. Think of whatever you know you want to do tonight, then make the 180 degree turn away from the thought of yourself, only to 'come after' Christ. Got it? Are you shaking your head "No"? HAHAHAHAHA I did the first time the realization washed over my spirit. I did it just two minutes ago, when having to continue in the assistance of a friend who is only performing in the way that they have performed all of their adult life. Which, to a degree, is beneficial. It generates the grounds by which I get opportunity to let go of "If" and latch myself to the achor, "will", in order to continue to "deny myself", and 'come after Him'. Watch your thought process. This is not being a martyr, this is recognizing that when you say that you will do something, you WILL do it no matter the outcome. How else is this world to "see" all of Christ? You gotta DENY self.
The last part of the statement is "take up his cross daily, and follow me". What I enjoy most about this portion is the matter-of-fact way Christ lays out that this will occur every day of your life. No obligatory statement hidden in parable. No! Christ leads in with the condition, which gives you choice. Then proceeds to let you know that you will have to engage of your own free will. Make sure to deny yourself. And now, slaps you over the head with 'by the way, do this EVERYDAY'. Jesus got jokes!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA I mean, look at what all is stated. Do you tell me that when this chick (okay my wife) gets on my nerves on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and even Thursday, I still have to wake up Friday and "Love" her? C'mon Christ! I denied myself, and 'came after you' all them other days, don't I get at least ONE DAY for me!!! The short answer, "No". This life, the one we live for Christ; that we profess to all men that we are living, doesn't have any place for selfish thoughts, plans, or actions. Oh, if this could have been realized so much more earlier in life. Alot of what we deal with, today, wouldn't be happening. And I speak solely to the child of God. We have this knowledge: at least we have opportunity to read it. But, we (and keeping it transparent), I mean I, should know enough to know that most of what I am dealing with now is due to the fact that I have travelled too far down this path, with Christ, to act as if I do not know I am going to have to "deny" myself and follow. Christ IS leading!!!!!
My Brothers and Sisters, today can start, again, the place where you engage in the life you are already professing to be living. All that has to be done is that you consider "If" you will or won't. But, I believe you "will" come after Him. Please do not forget that you must DENY yourself, and 'take up your cross daily'. While you FOLLOW Him. No, not that simple. Yes, that beneficial, glorious, peaceful, comforting, and full of Love. We have the ability to do this. It is, now, time to show the world Christ.
Holla,
Yer Brova Catalyst
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