Jesus summoned the crowd and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel* will save it.
MARK 8:34-38
TAKE UP YOURCROSS AND FOLLOW ME
I must lose my life to save it. This saying of Jesus at first glance seems to make no sense. We cling to our lives. to what seems to make us happy and comfortable. We are number one. Are we? Who better to know what is good for us than the one who loved us into existence, our Father in heaven.
Jesus summoned the crowd. Whenever Jesus summons a crowd in Scripture you know He has some very important information to share. Jesus will lay out what it means to be His disciple. What it means to be a disciple is to conform to Jesus, to be Jesus in this world to others.
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. MARK 8:34-38
I have always thought if we don’t pay attention to Jesus here on earth in this lifetime why would we want to spend eternal life with Jesus? Would Jesus even recognize us if we have been a stranger here on earth?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,* but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven…. Matthew 7:21-23
WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT A MAN
MARK 8:34
“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” Jesus is talking about end times, for some of us sooner than later. You can’t take anything material with you. What would you pack if you could take a suitcase?
How have I loved? Am I thankful for the life God has gifted me with? Have I borne witness to Christ or have I been ashamed, embarrassed,or fearful, to bear witness to Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Is life eternal with God something I will be compatible with or have I been estranged in my life on earth?
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST MUST EVANGELIZE
JESUS TEACHES HIS DISCIPLES
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7
CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING
The baptized have become “living stones” to be “built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood.”74 By Baptism they share in the priesthood of Christ…They are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that [they] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light.”75
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 1268
“The faith we have received is a gift that came to us, in many cases, from our mothers/grandmothers and fathers/grandfathers. They were the living memory of Jesus Christ within our homes. It was in the family that most of us learned to pray, to love and to live the faith.” U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.2016
All baptized Christians are called to do the work of God, not just priests and religious, All Christians are commissioned through our baptism to be other Christs in the world. All of us were chosen by God to be on mission.
To be a disciple of Jesus means a daily renewal of our relationship with Jesus. If any man would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me… whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.” Luke 9
FOR MY YOKE IS EASY, MY BURDEN LIGHT
Matthew 11:30
We don’t give up anything when we turn our lives over to Jesus? What are we afraid of? Why don’t people want to learn more about Jesus??? Jesus is all about love. What are we afraid of? We will never be asked more than we can handle. Any cross we have to bear with Jesus is designed for us because Jesus knows it is the path to love!
What are some crosses we may be asked to bear? Sometimes health, maybe even cancer, getting along with family members, providing for our family needs, welcoming children into our families, visiting the sick, taking care of elderly parents and so forth.
Witnesses testify not only with words but their lives. It is not enough to discover Christ for ourselves, we must bring Him to others.
We, on earth, are now God’s instruments, His voice, His deeds. Imitation and proclamation of Jesus Christ is not an option. Our mission is the salvation of souls. It is unthinkable that a person accepts the Word for himself and keeps that light to himself, without bearing witness to others.
CLOSING PRAYER
With the guidance of the Most Holy Spirit,
we pray that we may accurately and lovingly pass on the faith given by Christ
so that others may know Jesus in their hearts,
Worship Jesus in Liturgy,
and follow Jesus’ moral teachings in their daily lives.