Take up your cross

To ‘take up your cross’ is widely interpreted as meaning that we all have a special burden to bear when we follow Jesus. That we have to embrace the will of God, however painful, even if it means to bear the same burdens that Jesus did up unto His death on the cross. Pulpit Commentary explains that this cross assumes various forms such as persecution and martyrdom, affliction and sorrow of whatever kind appointed by God, and temptations of Satan – permitted by God for our trial, to increase our humility and virtue.

All of which certainly is true, but is this what Jesus was saying to the crowd on that occasion? If we dig deeper into the meaning of the Greek words translated here, we see that the words ‘take up’ comes from a verb that means ‘to lift up’ but also ‘to remove’.  The word ‘cross’ means a stake or post, like those used to hold up a tent. It does not refer to the crossbar of a cross, but the stake on which the crossbar is hung. This is shown by the translations in Acts 5:30  The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree and in Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”

What Jesus’ listeners heard that day, was “If anyone wants to show up after Me, he must reject himself and lift up that stake of his, and follow Me.” They would have understood perfectly, for they would mostly have been traveling people who knew that you pull up the central stake of a tent to use it as a walking stick on your journey to your next destination.

This is still the words of Jesus to us who wish to follow Him today: “Pull up that which is keeping you captive in your present circumstances, fold up your tent and come travel with Me to new horizons!”

Points to ponder:

In Jesus’ day, following Him meant going against everything your culture and religion had taught you to be true. You would be ostracized from your family and from your community, probably with a command never to contact them again. This is still the case in many countries today. Sadly, even in communities that are mostly Christian, religious legalism would have the same effect – your family and friends simply do not understand your new or even renewed passion for Jesus. He is asking you to work out the cost of following Him (Luke 14:28-29), and then decide whether you are willing to pay that price. For there is no cost you can pay in following Jesus that will not be made up a thousandfold in the resurrection! Carefully consider your present circumstances – are you willing to pull up your stake?