“Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. … Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” [Luke 9:3,23 (NLT         

Various other translations of these verses from Luke say the follower of Christ is to “stop thinking about,” “lose sight of,” “deny,” or “disown” himself and give up his interests and the things he wants. Many translations are far less poetic when mentioning the taking up of one’s cross. The Expanded Bible, for instance, say followers must “be willing to give up their lives” and the Complete Jewish Bible bluntly refers to the cross as an “execution-stake.” It’s bad enough that Jesus told us to take nothing when we follow him. He then tells us that we won’t be staying at the Hilton nor having room service. In fact, there might not even be a bed at the Motel 6 with coffee and stale rolls in the morning. Moreover, since we’re to deny ourselves the things we want, there may be no bed at all and it’s quite possible we’ll go hungry. We have to learn to rely on God rather than ourselves. Finally, there’s that that whole “taking up the cross” thing meaning a loss of one’s life-style or, even worse, the possible loss of one’s life! It seems to me that Jesus needed to consult with a better advertising agency if He was going to get followers. There would be plenty of Christians if He, like most politicians, offered us a care-free life, one of effortless comfort and ease, instead of telling us how difficult it would be. Jesus, however, laid it all on the line. A follower of Christ must rely on God’s provision, not his own; God-dependence must replace independence and obedience must replace self-determination. Long-standing habits, desires and attitudes must be renounced and the old self crucified so we can be made new in Christ. Our old lives have to be left behind if we’re going to journey with Jesus. Indeed, his early followers and even some Christians today face the actual loss of life for their belief. Jesus certainly didn’t make Christianity sound very easy. Why would anyone follow him? Then again, when we consider the benefits, why would anyone not?

 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. [Luke 9:24 (NLT

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Galatians 2:20 (NLT)]