Day 157: Luke 9:23–27

He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (v. 23).

Don’t miss the fact that Peter was invited to “follow” Jesus even after the horrible faux pas of rebuking His Master. I am intrigued that Peter actually heard this invitation three times before Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father: once in Matthew 4:19, again in this passage, and finally in John 21:19. It’s almost as if he were getting a crash course in Follow 101, Follow 202, and Follow 303. The first one was to follow Him as a disciple. The second one was to follow Him with a cross. The third one was to follow Him to death. Not coincidentally, tradition teaches that Peter indeed ended up following Christ to the death . . . on a cross.

In Christ’s invitation I see two key concepts: denying self and taking up the cross daily. Those who accept this invitation are called to deny themselves. I don’t believe Christ was talking about the things we typically consider self-denial. The issue here wasn’t fasting from food, nor was it denying self a single extra. It wasn’t about self-loathing either, because Christ commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. I believe the primary issue involved in this kind of self-denial is denying our right to be our own authority.

This passage brings us to the sobering realization that what we might think of as being under our own authority—having in mind the things of men—could easily be transferred to Satan’s authority. I’ve learned the hard way that denying my right to be my own boss is what keeps me from getting slaughtered by Satan in warfare. Let’s face it: this “be-your-own-boss” stuff is nothing but a myth.

But the second concept is just as vital: the key to true “follow-ship” with Christ is the recommitment to take up the cross daily. One reason I am drawn to Luke’s version of this invitation over Matthew’s is because he includes that all-important word—daily.

In my opinion, Dr. Luke wrote the prescription for the victorious life, and he wrote it for all of us who would desire to become Christ’s disciple: live life one surrendered day at a time. Eyes to the East. Hands to the cross. Feet to the path.