A Disciple Denies Themself
Pause:
Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus.
Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.
Read:
Mark 8v34: “Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
Going Deeper:
I love stories of self-denial and achievement, because they are so inspiring.
How many movies, or emotive video clips have you watched of athletes sacrificing certain pleasures (“I’m always in bed by 8pm so I can get up at 4am to train”), or foods (“I haven’t eaten pizza in years. I follow a strict diet”), or freedoms (“I even train on Christmas morning. I never take a day off”), all so that they can focus their life radically and get to the top of their game, and win a gold medal on the world stage.
I love watching stories like that. But, in reality I hate having to deny myself even the smallest thing that I want.
But the call of the disciple is a call to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus.
Paul the Apostle worded it this way in Galatians 2v20: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Disciples live a crucified life, by the power of the Spirit. And it is a beautiful life.
But this message is very different to other messages around us ever day, competing to disciple us in their image. The messages that tell us to follow our hearts, follow our dreams, satisfy our pleasures, and live for ourselves.
Self-satisfaction? Yes! Self-denial? No!
A pastor named Scott Sauls, referring to our text from Mark 8, wrote: “The call of Jesus is NOT to deny your neighbour, take up your comfort, and follow your dreams.”
Just re-read that one more time, slowly: “The call of Jesus is NOT to deny your neighbour, take up your comfort, and follow your dreams.”
The fullness of life that Jesus promises us in Himself is not found in choosing our own path, chasing our own plans and desires, doing what is easy or what satisfies us in the moment. It is found in trusting Jesus, even when what He asks of us in the scriptures or by His Spirit is hard. And in choosing to follow Him even into the unknown, the difficult, and the costly.
In John 21v18-19 Jesus speaks to Peter and says: “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”
Church History tells us that Peter was eventually crucified, like Jesus, but that He did not consider himself worthy to suffer the same death as his Lord. So he asked that they crucify him upside down, instead. And there he died a martyr, and fulfilled the prophecy about his death in John 21.
From this passage, Henri Nouwen defined maturity as a disciple of Jesus as: "Being willing to be led where you would rather not go."
As we start this new week, are you choosing to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus, freshly?
Or, are there any areas where you are not denying yourself, and following Jesus where you know you need to? Areas where you know you need to repent as we go into this new week?
The call of Jesus is to Follow Him, even into the unknown, the difficult and the costly. And if Jesus is leading you there right now, will you trust Him, knowing who He is and that He is good and loves you deeply?
Pray:
Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.
Listen:
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?
Apply:
What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?