I often write down my thoughts and share them with others and ask their opinion to broaden my point of view on the matter. Recently I asked some people at SoMD what they thought about taking up their cross and following Jesus.
From Matthew 16:21-28
Some expressed the classical explanation of the verse which is actually what I’ve been pulling away from lately, the idea that the Christian life is burdensome. It usually goes along with the idea that we need to wait until we pass from this world to the next to experience the “Kingdom of Heaven”. I’m wondering if in some ways we can’t pass from this world, after all John the Baptist preached, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
I’ve been thinking lately about my human perspective and what it means to die to self. If I look at the context in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says this about your “cross” right after he admonishes Peter for having in mind the things of man instead of the things of God. I think that the “system” of this world (the things of man) is going to kill us. Its substance is the lumber of that cross upon which will hang the frame of our worldly self. I think that bearing our cross is the same dieing to self that Jesus mentioned earlier but now more vividly. But it is no burden, only the trading of the worthless things for those of great value. These who learn to pass through the worldly system unaffected are those referred to as “not tasting death before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
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4 comments:
Oops. I read this when it was fresh and steaming, but I forgot to comment, which is a comment in it's own right. I floated down the current here without obstruction.
I shall not re-inseminate.
That is all.
Uh ... I suppose that was irrelevant.
i didn't realize that the classical interpretation was that following Christ was a burden. For what it's worth, JW's- and I do think this makes more sense- believe closer to your current belief, that's it's a dying to self and a commitment to follow Christ regardless of whatever personal sacrifice that may entail. Beside, there is also a verse that states that: this is what the love of god means: that you observe his commandments and they are are not burdensome.
Love isn't a burden. So if your faith is founded on love, the negative connotation that goes along with a "burden" wouldn't be there.
So there's my two cents.
I noticed that Gar commented. I haven't heard anything from him in a while. I wonder how his rapidly expanding family is doing...I hope well.
Cheers.
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