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Take up your cross

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I was reading today a passage in Matthew (Mt 16: 21-28).  The verse was not written as I'd remembered reading it earlier this week.  So I reviewed the other things I'd read this week to find out that the other passage was Luke 9:23. Here are the passages: Matthew 16:23: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
Luke 9:23: Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

Do you see a difference? Before getting into that, let's look at what might be meant by the phrase "take up his cross".  We discussed this at Bible Study this week.  I think we have a tendency to look at taking up a cross as a negative.  After all, Jesus carrying his cross and being crucified on his cross is a pretty vivid image in our heads. We see the negative, harsh picture of the cross and believe that we have a difficult, hard cross to carry when we follow Jesus.

But Jesus talked in parables and used analogy all the time. Perhaps He was talking about the cross of duty, burden, responsibility, willingness, preparedness, etc.  A member of our Bible Study had a devotional that she read about this passage.  The devotion described a camel lying down so its master could remove the load (or burden) from the camel's back.  For that camel, the burden was not necessarily a negative, harsh cross.

Maybe we should look at the cross in these verses as our responsibilities, duties, jobs, commitments, etc.  Another friend in the Bible Study made the statement that maybe willingness is also our cross.  We need to be willing to do whatever God requests of us.  I don't think we know each day every activity before it comes our way.  But we frequently recognize the opportunities as they appear.  Sometimes we are willing to take up that cross and sometimes we are not.  I think we are expected to be willing when asked.  So there are crosses of duty, commitment and responsibility.  And there are crosses of willingness and preparedness.

Which brings me to the difference between the two verses.  One says to "take up your cross".  The other says to "take up your cross daily". I like the verse that includes "daily" for a couple of reasons. If I failed to take up my cross yesterday, I have another opportunity to take it up today.  I also can lay the cross down each day for rest and renewal, then take it up again the next day.  

Referring back to the devotion about the camel's burden, the master removes the load so the camel can rest.  The next day the master reloads the burden.  Who is our Master? How does He remove and reload our burden or cross each day?  Gently, with compassion, knowing what we need and when we need it.

Lord Jesus,  I am willing to take up my cross today and each day.  Oh, Help me be willing and prepared. Forgive me when I do not carry my cross.  Give me willingness to take the cross that you lay upon me.  AMEN
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