"THE WEEKLY WORD"

Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. -Luke 14:27

        At first glance, this verse does not emphasize the positive. It focuses us squarely on the negative. Or does it? Jesus says, the not doing something, means you cannot be something. A negative, plus a negative, leads to…even more negative!

        However, as I look deeper, there’s the unspoken opposite, the positive. Jesus is really saying, those who carry their cross and follow me will be my disciple. It is the recipe for being a Christian as simple as that?

        Perhaps. The one thing about a recipe is it can be used over and over again. You don’t just put it in a cookbook and write it down and keep it somewhere and you use some different form of it at a later time. You pull it out and use it again and again the same way. Often people will save recipes or pass down recipes for family keepsakes, memories, or just for fond remembrances. Mom asked for many of my grandmother’s recipes when she discovered we really liked something she had made at her house.

        It is up to us to draw on the recipe we’re given by Jesus. This formula he offers us several places in the bible in different forms. He reminds us no matter what situation we’re in; the recipe still works perfectly. It’s not a good, it’s a great one, it’s the only one that will do. He warns us in this verse whoever does not use the recipe of taking up their cross and following him cannot possibly find any sort of fruit in their walk of faith.

        So, as we follow Jesus, let us apply the recipe to take up our cross and follow him to whatever we go through or whoever we’re around. It’s a great checkpoint to see where you’re at and how you’re handling something. Simply ask yourself, how can I accept my cross and follow Jesus in this situation?

        Friends, it’s not a simple recipe, because we may have to go through tough stuff to do it. But if we’re preparing our hearts, our lives with this sacred recipe from Jesus, rest assured, our dish will be tasty when our meal is ready. The fruit we will bear as disciples in our walk of faith will be delicious, beyond our wildest dreams! And there’s absolutely nothing negative about that whatsoever!

To God be the glory

Pastor Brandon