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. Matthew 16:24

 

          Jesus, being a radical thinker, tells His followers, both past and present to change their GNA by denying self. We are born a selfish people. You mothers who have been through countless 2 am feedings know what I’m talking about. Babies have needs. They cry until those needs are met. It doesn’t matter that you have to look up the definition of sleep in the dictionary because you no longer know what it means by experience. They cry. It doesn’t matter that you no longer have any clothes without stains. They spit up. It doesn’t matter that your energy is sapped. They soil their diapers.

        Some people never outgrow that drop-everything-and-tend-my-needs-now! mentality. Yet here comes this radial Jesus and He’s telling us to drop the attitude that it’s all about us and follow Him. Is He serious? Jesus this denial thing goes against our Greedy Natural Attitude.   Radical thinkers need radical followers.

      To be a radical follower is to have a change of that GNA. It is a change that happens from the inside out but only if Christ is already in your heart to begin the work. He tells us to deny ourselves and then He works within to give us the desire to grow up into people who lead a self less life.

      Himself: it’s an important pronoun. This verse is focused on the individual. I can’t carry your cross or even pick it up for you. You cannot do either of those things for me. And we certainly can’t deny each other’s selfishness. But we can encourage each other and rejoice with each denial of self that furthers the kingdom.