Against the Norm; Day1054
May 21, 2013 1 Comment
Mark 8:34, 35 ERV
“Then Jesus called the crowd and his followers to him. He said, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it.”
See it at YouVersion.com:
This kind of biblical self-denial or selflessness includes all the forms of the cross. It is not a selflessness which destroys or denies my true self; rather it is that form of self- denial which allows me to go out of my selfishness and self-centeredness, It is that selflessness which allows me to develop my total Christian existence to its God-intended fullness. I become a complete Christian person by going out of myself and more into a greater assimilation with Christ. Our participation in Christ’s cross, or in His death, is always to be linked intimately with His Resurrection. Yes, for us, as with Christ, the cross means life. The more we die mystically with Christ, the more we share in His Resurrection through grace. Furthermore, since growth in grace means growth in love, the cross enables us to increase our capacity to love God and men.