Luke 9:23 23And he said to all, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Jesus comes to the crux of the matter and gives the core value of discipleship. He addresses all the disciples. The inclusion of the word all makes the following five verses have a sense of wide open invitation to anyone who would listen. The call to discipleship is not for just a few exclusive people or to those gathered around Jesus at that moment but to anyone who would listen. The invitation to believe in Jesus is open to the whole world (John 3:16). The open invitation is emphasized with the first words Jesus says. His invitation is given in two parts in the form of a conditional sentence.
The first part is known as the protasis ( the “if” clause). In this sentence, this clause gives the goal of discipleship, which is to follow after Jesus. God puts within our hearts a desire to know the truth and experience peace. People come to Jesus because he is the Way, Truth, and Life and the Prince of Peace. People are attracted to Jesus because he is the way to eternal life. His invitation to follow him is open to all. To want to follow him is to want abundant life now and to enter heaven.
The second part of the conditional sentence, called the apodosis (“then”), gives the three conditions required for those who want to follow Jesus. First, one must deny himself or herself. The aorist tense of the verb deny implies a decisive decision. Denying oneself is not easy because of our bent toward selfishness and pride. Most people think first of themselves, their needs, or self-preservation or protection. It is not wrong to care for oneself, but the self must allow Jesus to be the sovereign Lord. The disciple seeks to do the Master’s will and not his or her own. The opposite response is described in 12:9.
The second condition sets a high goal that shows the extent of the first condition. To take up one’s cross implies a willingness to sacrifice oneself. Most people of that era knew what a cross was. Roman crosses were frequently seen along roadsides, with the condemned left to die and hang for days. There is no reason to suppose that Luke or other Gospel writers inserted a historical reference to Jesus’ cross back into this story. Neither it is necessary to say that Jesus was being prophetic about the way he would die. The cross for a disciple represents the decision to put the will of Jesus first. The cross was a symbol of death. Paul the Apostle reflected much on the cross of Jesus and how we symbolically put our old selves on a cross with him through the commitment of faith (Galatians 2:20; 5:24). To die on the cross means that the old life no longer has control over us.
The third condition is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps by living like him and obeying his commands. What Jesus did is what we must do. How he interacted with people is how we should develop relationships. We should model his compassion and justice. We do not need to do this on our own. The Holy Spirit will guide us into the truth that is found in Jesus.
In his version of this story, Luke includes the significant word daily. The decision to follow Jesus and die to self is not a one-time deal but must be made every day. The paradox of discipleship is that to live we must die. Discipleship calls us to evaluate our priorities and what is most important. Jesus’ call to discipleship in this verse is an invitation to commit to him, like the apostles and many other early disciples. Not all will be called to go far away, but all are called to follow in obedience evevery day.
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