What Is A Cross?

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34).

What is a cross? During Dean Lloyd's sermon Sunday at the Washington National Cathedral, he spoke of the popularity of the cross as a fashion accessory, and the variety available. He also told of how when Jesus lived on the earth, the cross was the ultimate tool of torture used by the Roman empire to instill fear and maintain authority. It made me think that the cross was as the French Revolution's guillotine and the noose of America's lynchings.

But the cross, once of tool of fear, control, torture and death, has become a symbol of hope, freedom, release, and life.

There are so many lessons in this one sentence spoken by Jesus. Today I will focus on one thought contained in the phrase "take up their (your) cross."

What is my cross?

As I was pondering this during Sunday's service, the boys choir processed from the choir loft to receive communion. Looking at these young boys, I recalled my son and his love of church when he was young. He knew the liturgy by heart, and would recite it by memory along with the presiding pastor during the service. At home during the week, he would play CD's of praise music and process in and out of the living room, carrying the broom as the acolyte carried the cross during Sunday's service.

Today my son is being raised outside the faith. That is a cross; or a part of my cross.

As I continued to ponder Mark 8:34, I realized that one's cross is not simply an inconvenience. Nor is it necessarily one thing.

The cross which Jesus bore was physical wood, but also the experience of betrayal, rejection, suffering, and death. The cross made no sense to Jesus' family, friends or followers. The cross Jesus bore resulted from lies, greed, evil, abuse, betrayal -- all of these are manifestations of sin.

Jesus dreaded the cross. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done" (Luke 22:42).

In Hebrews 12:2 we read that Jesus, "for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame . . ."

I still am pondering. What is a cross? What is my cross? What does it truly mean for me to take up my cross and follow Jesus?

To be continued . . .