Crosses and Towels

There is an old saying that we all have a “cross to bear” in this life. I have always disliked this saying because it is wrong. Yes, you have a unique burden to bear in life, but please don’t call it your cross. A cross is not for carrying around; it’s a place to die.

Jesus said to his followers, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24) Where did Jesus go with his cross? He didn’t carry it around and show it to people and talk about how heavy it was. He died on it, and if we want to be his follower, he says we must do the same.

Those are heavy words. What kind of religious leader asks all his disciples to follow him to his execution? He tries to help us understand as he goes on to say "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." As we lose our selfish way of living, we exchange it for real life.

He is not talking about physical death, though losing your life for Jesus can sometimes lead to this. We will all leave our bodies eventually, but the death he wants us to die starts now, while we are still alive in our bodies. The apostle Paul explains what it means to die, yet continue to live. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 19:20)

What does it mean to die, yet continue to live? It means giving up pride, and the right to be treated fairly by the world, or even by your best friend, because you know these things are meaningless compared to the value of who you are to God.

Jesus knows exactly who he is, and where he stands with the Father and this is why it is easy for him to serve others and perform menial tasks without shame. He knows that the opinions of men mean nothing, and to be the greatest, you must be the servant of all. (John 13)

Jesus showed his greatest humility when he died for us, but he also showed us what it means to die, yet continue to live when he served his disciples by washing their feet. He took up the task of the lowest servant of the culture at that time by picking up a towel, and bending down to clean the smelly filth and grime between their toes. Then he asked them, and us, to do the same for each other.

If you want to be like Jesus, it's time to stop carrying your cross around town. It's time to die on that cross. It's time to die to your pride and your right to be heard, respected and appreciated. Only then can you can rise to truly live, by picking up a towel.