In the midst of a busy season of healing the deaf and mute and blind, of restoring sanity to children and feeding crowds of thousands with a few loaves of bread, Jesus took time to teach.
Our culture nurtures an image of a safe and gentle Jesus, and like most caricatures, Jesus meets these criteria at times. But when you read the words of Jesus, the stuff he actually taught, the lines those closest to him chose to write down, safe and gentle fades.
Whoever want to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
I just watched two month’s worth of advertising, from before Thanksgiving through the new year, totally aimed at crushing any concept of denying myself. Why such an onslaught? To capture the revenue flowing through the season surrounding the Christmas holiday. As a culture we celebrate the gift from heaven with wild spending (and in full disclosure, we spent plenty ourselves).
The idea of denial had no room in advertising or commerce. Consumption rules. Which is why these words of Jesus burn from the page—what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
As a follower of Jesus, I simply must stop and consider this concept of denying myself. It looks different for everyone, but I’m convinced it does not look like the advertising aimed at me day after day.
Mark 8 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022
Photo by Joshua Earle
As a follower of Jesus, I simply must stop and consider this concept of denying myself. It looks different for everyone, but I’m convinced it does not look like the advertising aimed at me day after day.
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I like it
True this – well said, Dave