Big Idea: Jesus doesn’t call us into a life of comfort and ease, but a life of sacrifice and surrender.
Scripture: Luke 9:23-25 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Devotion: In Luke 6:12-16, Jesus calls his disciples to him. From that group, He chooses twelve to be the apostles. This group then followed Jesus closely, listening to Him teach and witnessing Him perform miracles. Most scholars would agree that this time period where they learned from Jesus was about three to four years. Then, In Luke 9, the apostles are sent out by Jesus to do the very same thing, “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:1-2).
After following Jesus around for quite some time, I’m sure they were excited to go and actively partake in healing, driving out demons, and proclaiming the kingdom of God. However, Jesus quickly warns them that it won’t be an easy road. He tells them that they must deny themselves, deny the things of this world. But in the end, their lives will be saved for it because they surrendered their lives to Christ and His plan for them.
Of these twelve apostles, only one is thought to have died of natural causes. All twelve preached the gospel far and wide, which ultimately caused eleven of them to by martyred. I’m not sure if they had any idea that is what Jesus meant when He said, “…whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24).
While living a life in pursuit of Christ often doesn’t look like martyrdom for us, there are things that we are called to sacrifice and surrender in obedience to Him. We are called to lay down our sinful nature, throw away our selfishness, and surrender our temptations. We are called to give our first and our best in our income, our time, and our energy to the furthering of the Kingdom. Often, we will look quite different from the world. And when we look different from the world, life isn’t always easy. But a life lived in surrender to the Lord is a life that is filled with a joy and a peace that comes from Him alone.
Reflect:
- What are some areas of comfort and ease that you might have to give up to surrender your life fully to the Lord?
