Was Jesus speaking to us when he said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”? This was only for those who wanted to take their Christianity to the next level right? No this is Jesus’ expectation for everyone who is to believe in him for salvation, in fact, this is the gospel message in a nutshell, that we give up our old life for the new life that Jesus offers.
In Mark 12:38-44 we read, “As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
These verses have more to do with the way a person lives their life than with the amount of money given, so much so that Jesus warns us to watch out for those who seem religious but don’t live in a manner pleasing to God. You see he says, they walk the walk and talk the talk but one day they will be punished most severely because they used their positions to take advantage of those who had nothing. James tells us, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:27 NLT) which is the opposite of this scene that Jesus observed in Mark 12. When Jesus said whoever would follow me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me, this wasn’t a call to level up as a Christian but a call to leave behind one’s old life, old desires and wants, to leave behind the things this world offers and to chase after the things God offers.
Good clothes, respect, honor, and wealth won’t get you very far into eternity; after you die it won’t matter how much money you had or how popular you were, those things don’t go into eternity with you. A relationship with Jesus is the only thing we take with us to a peaceful eternity. The things this world offers us only lead us away from Jesus and take us to an eternity of punishment. Jesus came to save us from ourselves and this world, so how can we continue living for this world and think that we can live for God at the same time? May we not be like the teachers of the law but rather be like the poor widow who put in everything and gave all that she had to live on to God.
0 Comments