As we enter into the second Sunday of Lent, we face the challenge of denial. In this passage, Jesus asks any who would follow to deny themselves of anything that would hinder them from following him. On the surface, this is a tall task. Deep in our souls, it is even more difficult than our flesh can imagine!
If we are not careful, the power of evil has a strong pull on our lives. It’s interesting how evil can even hide inside seemingly good things? Chocolate, anyone?
In my opinion, one of the modern evils we are facing is that of self-centeredness. I promise I am not trying to go on a rant here, but it stuns me how self-centered our world has become. There are many things to blame, including social media, but I would instead focus on the solution than the problem.
When I read the words of Jesus, I see that the solution is to deny our desires. The desire to build a platform. The desires of being unable to look beyond ourselves. The desire of gratifying our wants with instantaneous, if not short-lived, gratification. All of these desires are the things Jesus is asking us to give up.
Denying ourselves is a big ask, but I think Jesus follows up his big ask by reassuring us that in the end, it will be worth it. Jesus repeatedly mentions how anything we build on earth is pointless once our life is over. But our soul? Our soul can live on.
Notes:
Ancient-Future Time, by Robert E. Webber
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