"And he that taketh not his cross, and foiloweth after me, is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:38). How can one read this passage without seeing through the mind's eye of faith a Christ about to be crucified, struggling under the weight of a heavy cross up to Golgotha's summit? It must have been made doubly hard to bear since he knew that soon he would be suspended on that same cross. It was difficult because of physical weariness, for Jesus had been up all the previous night. He had been arrested in Gethsemane, even as he was praying to his Father, taken to the house of the high priest where he was mocked and ill treated. At the breaking of day he was taken to Pilate, the Roman governor, who sent him to Herod, the puppet king of Caesar. Herod then returned him to Pilate who then turned him over to be crucified. Then the cross was placed upon his shoulders and he was forced to bear it to the place of his death.

Now - consider Jesus' statement concerning his disciples bearing their cross! Many are not willing to bear a is not nearly as heavy as Jesus' was. Perhaps our crosses would be a little easier to bear if we understood something about them. Obviously, Jesus does not tell that we each must physically take a cross, bear it and die on it, although that would be justice to the fullest extent. After all, Jesus did not sin - we did! So he bore a physical cross that we might not have to. The question then is, "what is my cross?"

First, let us note that it is personal ... "he that taketh not his cross..." Christians may and must assist one another (Gal. 6:2, 5). But we should understand that nobody else can bear our cross for us. It must be done individually. It may be a cross of reproach, for Paul said such would be the case (2 Tim. 3:12). It may be that men will speak evil of us, for Peter said that would be so (1 Pet. 4:1-4). It may be a cross of loss, and our possessions may be dear to us, but if we bear our cross, we must "count them as loss" (cf. Phil. 3:8). To bear our cross means to consecrate our all to Christ. Our all must be devoted to Christ, with no divided allegiance (Matt. 6:24). In short, our cross is to live for Christ ... not for self.

Another question might be, "what am I to do with my cross?" Jesus says to "take it." This implies a willingness to do so, and once it has been accepted, then "follow me." When Jesus bore his cross it led him to his . Are we willing to carry ours there (Rev. 2:10)? Peter said we are to "follow in his steps" (1 Pet. 2:21). When others want to "follow the crowd," we must follow Jesus. God said a long time ago, "thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil" (Exo. 23:2). We must bear our cross faithfully; not negligently (Heb. 2:1-3). We must not faint under its load, regardless of how heavy it may become (Gal. 6:9). It must be patiently endured, for after all, compared to the timeless reward it brings, it is only for a little while (Jas. 4:14; 2 Cor. 4:17).

Weak men as we are, there are times when we need encouragement in bearing our cross. One thing that ought to impel us to bear it is the necessity of the matter. Necessary because we cannot be a disciple of Jesus without it. There are those who want the reward without the work, and the crown without the cross, but such cannot be done. Bearing our cross, if we expect reward is a necessity. Another thing that ought to encourage us is that others; better men than we, have borne crosses before us. Besides Jesus, Paul bore his

 

. to , and Peter gladly bore one. Stephen, as Jesus did, bore his cross to his , all without complaint and fainting. Many early disciples can serve as examples to us. The restoration leaders, fallible men though they were, bore crosses heavier than most of us will ever have to bear. This certainly should encourage us. Another great encouragement is the. expectation of reward (2 Tim. 1:12; 4:6-8).­

Are you daily bearing your cross? Are you willing to do so all the days of your life? It must be borne if the crown is to be received. Hear the closing words of a wonderful poem: 

        "Faith comes at last, storm beat and torn, 
            she recompensed me all my loss; 
        For as a cargo, safe she brought 
            a crown... linked to a cross" - Bill Moseley

 

 

 

In the very first issue of PLAIN TALK (January, 1964) bro. Robert Turner wrote: "Several years ago a friend and I had a business appointment with a prominent Roman Catholic. We went to his office, but the secretary refused to announce us because we asked to see Mr. ________. ‘You must ask for Father _________’ she insisted.

"Well, we were just independent enough not to do it, so we had a stalemate until a kindly gentleman appeared at the door and invited us in. With the door closed, he removed his robe and we had an enjoyable visit. Sat on the floor as I remember, and listened to a wire­recorded Harvard debate.

"Which proves something or other about the bull of the woods, and the yearlings that are just acting big. A tall man doesn't have to wear elevator shoes."

Bill's Note: The above is something that we give a hearty "Amen" to. The true Christian does not have to tell people about his virtuous qualities; In fact, the disposition to do so may detract from his Christianity. Jesus talked about airing our self-imposed importance upon others (Matt. 6:1ff). We need to learn to keep them quiet and let the Lord take care of whatever (if any) accolades we may have coming. Just live your virtues instead of talking about them, and then men will know whether you are a "bull" or a "yearling." – Bill Moseley