‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’ Luke 9:23
Boarding a train I helped a young woman with her bags, she was a concert goer. The train teemed with them. Asking who she’d seen I realised my lack of observation. Her t-shirt, bags and arm displayed the singer Harry Styles’ name and face. Starting at Glasgow on to Manchester, she was now heading for a night in London to hear Harry sing yet again. Following him was consuming and costly, yet she didn’t want to miss anything. Her face glowed speaking of him, as though she knew him personally.
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). Following Jesus daily is something we want – it’s a choice. There is a cost to us, we forfeit other things—it’s a sacrifice. Imagine how close Simon of Cyrene in carrying Jesus cross was (Mark 15:21). We identify with Jesus by walking beside Him–it’s an act of association.
The young woman sought out her hero, travelling in discomfort, not ashamed to wear her hero’s name, wanting to be near him not to miss out. Our following closely to Jesus will put us on the front row when He reveals His and the Father’s glory. A glory we point to, not with pictures on our arms or bags, but by His grace in our lives brought out through daily encounters with him.
In wanting to follow Jesus daily where do we begin? How might we meaningfully associate with Jesus as we look for His coming glory?
My prayer today is this: Father, Your glory and presence is my desire. Help me to choose to follow You closely, to put aside distractions, to go out of my way to walk with You.
Rob Wykes 