Luke 9:23-24 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. NIV

When Jesus asked men to follow Him as disciples, He was calling them according to a tradition which every Jewish person knew. Rabbis would call young men to be disciples in a kind of “graduate school” that was common in Israel. This graduate school was not merely learning information or being able to pass written tests as we have today. The type of learning the Rabbi called his disciples to was an extended, informal training that resulted in the student becoming like the Rabbi in thought, attitude, and character.

Jesus called the disciples to become like Him (see Philippians 3:10 to see Paul’s desire to be like Christ) not only in the way they lived but also in the way they thought and the things they valued. Here in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls for even greater commitment than anyone had ever known in Rabbinical tradition, because He adds another commonly understood symbol to the call, the cross. Everyone in Jesus day understood that the cross represented a hideous death reserved for only the worst of criminals. Jesus was in effect calling His followers to be committed to Him that they would be willing to die at any time in order to follow Him. There is, however, an upside to this commitment. It is the joy of eternal life and fellowship with our Lord and Savior.

To me this call to follow Jesus can be overwhelming. I think “Lord you ask so much, I don’t think I can do it.” Yet the reward more than compensates for the cost because He sends His Holy Spirit to help me and He helps me to engage in the very thing I was created for, fellowship with God.

Father, thank you for your provision. Even the call to be like Christ is a provision for fellowship not a burden. For this I praise you and thank you.

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