March 12th: Mark8:34-38: Jesus Calls His Followers To a Radical Life

We tend to forget that crucifixion is a bloody agonizing torturous execution. We are so far removed from the act of crucifixion that we often think of it terms of a necklace or something similar. What Jesus said you should take up your cross and follow him, he did not mean that you should wear a crucifix. He was saying you should die to yourself. You should take up your method of execution and follow him. You deny yourself, and you should be willing to die if you want to follow Jesus. We take being a follower of Jesus so lightly but it is a radical call to be different. We get upset when we face the smallest amount of persecution, for instance of someone makes fun of us for a moral stand, but we should be prepared to die for Christ. Paul says something similar in Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." We having nothing to lose and everything to gain by serving Jesus, even if it means our death.