In our Gospel today, there is an unmistakable reality check that takes place when Jesus addresses the crowds that have been following Him. They have followed him on His physical journey toward Jerusalem, but are they willing to truly be His followers in a way that is much more meaningful? The words that He has spoken up until that point have taught many beautiful lessons, but there hasn’t been a cost attached to them – yet. That all changes in today’s Gospel.
It’s easy to follow someone when there is nothing required of us. We’re happy to listen to someone’s words, and perhaps to gain some wisdom or insight from them. It is a very different thing to truly be someone’s committed follower knowing that it will not be an easy path, and that there will be personal sacrifice involved. Our Lord took on the cross for each of us, and he endured the pain and suffering that were part of it, so that each one of us might be saved. In today’s Gospel He in turn places a challenge before each of us, that will determine if we are simply those who follow along with His words and enjoy that they are a nice set of ideas, or are we truly His followers who will stake everything upon our belief in Him, and willingly take up our own cross in order to do so?
To take up our cross is something that is a unique challenge to each one of us. It is unique in what is required of us, and it is unique in how we each take on the challenge. Some of us are called to endure sickness, or loss, or challenging people who we don’t always know how to handle, or perhaps we are burdened by life situations that are beyond our control. No matter what the manifestation, we are called to embrace these things and deal with them, and to do so without losing faith in our Lord, and without losing sight of His teachings. We need to do our best to still live our lives according to His word regardless of how hard our personal situations are. This is not an easy task, because with these sufferings comes the temptation to despair, and to wallow in self, rather than look toward the one who loves us, and can truly help us. Our Lord never made any pretense that our lives would be easy, far from it, He told us point blank that we would have trouble in this life, and that as His followers we would be hated. Yet the promise is that if we endure, we will also be with Him in paradise, we will be one with Him in a way that we cannot even fathom in this existence.
The words “follow me” are used several times in the Gospels, and in each instance, there is a cost that comes with this call. In the case of Peter, he followed our Lord unto death, and in the case of the rich young man, he found the challenge to be too much and fell away. It can be easy to convince ourselves that the challenge can be too much, yet we must understand that our Lord knows each of us on a level or intimacy that is so great, it is more insightful than our knowledge of ourselves. He knows what we can endure, and He knows the things we need along the way to help us. He is always there, and he will never abandon us in our trials. The cross can be a daunting challenge, but it is one we can each peacefully accept if we stay focused on who called us to it, and who will be with us each step of the way. We are NEVER alone.
The Deacons Bench 