Uh oh. In today’s gospel, Jesus says his followers must “Take up their cross.” These words always make me nervous—not because they are challenging but because of how often they have been misused to guide people into ways of thinking and acting that have nothing to do with the message of Jesus.
Telling someone their cancer is the “cross” God sent them and so they should carry it with faith; encouraging a woman to stay in her abusive marriage because that is her “cross”; being told that one’s suffering is a cross God has sent to “test” the authenticity of their faith—all of these bizarre and false statements speak of a false god and are far from what Jesus is trying to teach us.
To understand what Jesus means, it is good to first answer the question Jesus asks his disciples right before he makes his statement about taking up the cross and following him. Jesus asks straightforwardly, “Who do you say that I am?” This is the all-important question! Who do you, who do I say that Jesus is? Everything depends on our response.
If we answer, like Peter, that Jesus is the Christ, that is, the anointed One of God, the one who comes to show the way of God, that way of Love, the way of authentic life, then, of course, the only thing to do is to follow Jesus: to listen to him, observe him and imitate him and put his teachings into practice because his teachings are the way to authentic love and the fullness of life. And when I commit to follow Jesus, then I begin to walk in the way of life and love. Wonderful! Exciting! Life-giving! Indeed.
Yet, I also begin to see that there are many ideas and attitudes I hold, many actions I perform, many words I speak, that are not rooted in his way, his truth, his love. And these ideas, attitudes, actions and words must change. And THAT, my friends, is the CROSS. That is what it means to take up the Cross: to die to anything in me that doesn’t square with Christ and his Way. It means to “deny” those things the light of day, so that the true light of love can come bursting through.
So, to “take up the Cross” doesn’t mean we wait in dread of the sufferings God will send our way to “test” us. Nor does it mean going out and looking for pain and penance. It means to stay committed to the way of Jesus, the way of Love even when it’s difficult, even when it requires me to change, even when I realize that following Jesus means I must give my all to him again and again and again. And we do it, because we know His Way is the only way.
Peace and every good,
Father Liam