Words of Reflection
As we make our way to Jerusalem, contemplating the call of Jesus to take up our cross , there is a part of that passage that we sometimes overlook which deserves our full attention:
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.’”—Matthew 16:24-25 (NRSV)
When we study and meditate on this passage, our focus is often on what we are asked to sacrifice, and rightly so. Jesus’ words are about our denial of self and our willingness to lay down our lives for his sake, and that should always be at the forefront of our understanding of these verses.
But note that Jesus also tells us what we gain in doing so. He isn’t describing a one-way transaction—there is an exchange that happens here. We come before him in humility and supplication. We offer up our lives as a living sacrifice to him. We turn away from self and turn towards the cross.
And what we receive in return is nothing less than life itself. The life we were always meant to know.
The demands Jesus places on us are not the empty whims of a deity who enjoys chastising his followers for their mistakes. Instead, they are the loving commands of One who knows what is best for us and who desires us to experience it. Dying to self isn’t punishment—it’s invitation. It’s a purging of all the things in our lives that are not of God, so that we might be open to the life he has for us.
Our Lenten journey is all about that openness. It’s all about a deeper experience of surrender, and in doing so we find a deeper experience of freedom, peace, joy, and love at the foot of the cross.
Scripture for Meditation:
“So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’”
—John 10:7-10 (NRSV)
Song: At the Foot of the Cross (lyrics here)
Questions for Reflection
How do you understand the relationship between “dying to self” and “having life abundantly?” In what ways has that relationship played out in your own life? How might God be inviting you to go even deeper in that experience?
What do you sense Jesus inviting you to lay down at the foot of the cross? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to do so, trusting that every deeper act of sacrifice leads to a deeper experience of God’s grace and power in your life.
Spend some time prayerfully considering the chorus of today’s song. Pray through each line, paying attention to the movement of your soul as you do so. What words stand out to you most? Why?
Now I can trade these ashes for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of Mercy
I lay ev'ry burden down
At the foot of the cross