Matthew 10:38 - Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus.
Mat 10:38: Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus.
Mat 10:38 (EAV) And he who does not take up his cross and
follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in
living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me.
DEVOTIONAL PEARL
A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him,
whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evil-speaking, by foolish
talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by
shunning life's burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny
Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behaviour, by the
love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt,
borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they
declare that Christ is not in them. DA357
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE DEEPER STUDY:
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Mat 10:38 (KJV) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth
after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 (EAV) And he who does not take up his cross and
follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in
living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me.
Mat 10:38 (CWR) Anyone who is not willing to carry his cross,
just as I willingly carry mine, is not worthy of me.
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
Jesus commissioned the Twelve (10:1-4). He instructed them on an
immediate preaching mission (vv. 5-16), and spoke of future challenges
(vv. 17-31). Jesus explained what He expects of disciples (vv. 32-39)
and the disciple's reward (vv. 40-42). A demoralized John was
encouraged (11:1-6) and praised (vv. 7-19) by Jesus, who damned the cities
that refused to repent despite His miracles (vv. 20-24). Yet the
weary who come to Jesus will find rest (vv. 25-30). [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
Chapter Topics
1 Christ sendeth out his twelve apostles, enabling them with
power to do miracles, 5 giveth them their charge, teacheth them, 16
comforteth them against persecutions: 40 and promiseth a blessing to those
that receive them. [SDA Commentary]
Chapter Summary
Jesus sends His twelve disciples out to teach and preach. He
equips them for this ministry with power over demons and diseases
(10:1-5). Their powers, however, were not to be used for selfish purposes.
Like Christ, they were to travel in poverty, dependent on the
willingness of those to whom they ministered to meet their basic needs for
food and lodging (vv. 6-15). Jesus warns them to expect hostility as
well as welcome--something believers throughout the ages have known.
Their goal, as ours, is not to be successful or popular, but to live
humbly as Jesus did, taking His trust in the Father as our example, and
refusing to fear man (vv. 16-31). The message the disciples carry is the
most critical in the world. It's not a message intended to bring
earthly peace, for it will stir up opposition. Yet its acceptance or
rejection determines each person's eternal destiny (vv. 32-42). [Victor
Bible Reader's Companion]
Matt. 10:32-42. What are the marks of Jesus' disciples, and
their rewards? We can list the following. A disciple of Jesus
acknowledges Him before men (v. 32). A disciple of Jesus places loyalty to
Christ above even the bonds of family (vv. 34-35). A disciple of Jesus
takes up his cross and follows Jesus, a phrase which means subjecting
one's will to God even as Jesus chose to subject Himself to the cross
(v. 38). A disciple of Jesus surrenders all for the sake of his LORD
(v. 37). (See Matt. 16 for "taking up the cross" and "losing
oneself.")
So far it seems that the disciple's life is all "give up" and no
"gain." But there are rewards! In the world of the New Testament a
person's representative was treated as that person himself. As Jesus'
disciples minister, some will welcome them as Christ's emissaries. Those
who do so will gain rewards in the world to come--and the follower of
Jesus will have the joy of knowing that it was through him or her that
others were thus blessed. The Apostle Paul put it this way in his
Letter to the Thessalonians: "For what is our hope, our joy, or the
crown in which we will glory in the presence of our LORD Jesus when He
comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy" (1 Thes.
2:19).
You and I, with Paul, have the same joy in discipleship that
Jesus had in fulfilling His mission. Jesus had the joy of knowing that
because of His faithfulness, many would be saved. As others respond to
our witness to Christ, we who share Christ's sufferings in
discipleship will also experience this joy. [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]
Section Headings
The Meaning of Discipleship
Jesus prepares the disciples for persecution (10:17-42)
Tell People About Your Faith
Not Peace, but a Sword (10:34-39)
Renouncing self to follow Jesus (10:37-39)
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Matthew 16:24 (KJV) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me.
Mark 8:34 (KJV) And when he had called the people unto him with
his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mark 10:21 (KJV) Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said
unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:
and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Luke 9:23 (KJV) And he said to them all, If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow me.
Luke 14:27 (KJV) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and
come after me, cannot be my disciple.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart.
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
How can it improve my relationship with Jesus.
The cross was an instrument of execution perfected by the
Romans. Here it was used as a symbol of one's willingness to identify
with Jesus and endure the pain of rejection and persecution. [New
Bible Companion]
To take up the cross of Christ and follow after Him means to
endure without complaint or regret the frown of friends and relatives
and to bear the reproach of men with patience and humility. It is to
endure the "sword" of persecution. [SDA Commentary]
To take our cross and follow Jesus means to be willing to
publicly identify with him, to experience almost certain opposition, and
to be committed to face even suffering and death for his sake.
[Life Application SB]
We have become so accustomed to this expression-"taking up one's
cross"-in the sense of "being prepared for trials in general for Christ's
sake," that we might lose sight of its primary and proper sense here-"a
preparedness to go forth even to crucifixion," as when Jesus had to bear his
own cross on his way to Calvary. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown
Commentary]
The cross was an instrument of death and here symbolizes the
necessity of total commitment--even unto death--on the part of Jesus'
disciples (see note on Mk 8:34). [NIV SB]
Taking up a cross here stands for commitment to the extent of
being willing to die for something. [Nelson SB]
Allegiance even to death is demanded of Christ's followers.
[Ryrie SB]
Christians cannot serve Christ without taking up the cross; this
means being crucified to self and bearing His reproach. [Wiersbe
Expository Outlines]
To follow Christ is a moment-by-moment decision, requiring
denial of self and taking up one's cross. Following Jesus does not mean
walking behind him, but taking the same road of sacrifice and service
that he took. The blessing for us is that he walks with us along the
way. (Life Application Commentary)
The Christian may have to sacrifice his personal ambitions, the
ease and the comfort that he might have enjoyed, the career that he
might have achieved; he may have to lay aside his dreams, to realize
that shining things of which he has caught a glimpse are not for him.
He will certainly have to sacrifice his will, for no Christian can
ever again do what he likes; he must do what Christ likes. In
Christianity there is always some cross, for it is the religion of the Cross.
[Barclay Commentary]
A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him,
whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evil-speaking, by foolish
talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by
shunning life's burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny
Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behaviour, by the
love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt,
borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they
declare that Christ is not in them. DA357
If religion be worth any thing, it is worth every thing: and,
therefore, all who believe the truth of it, will soon come up to the price
of it; and they who make it their business and bliss, will make
every thing else to yield to it. They who like not Christ on these
terms, may leave him at their peril. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
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