Matthew 16:26- Take Up Your Cross

Matthew 16:26 "For what will it  profit a man if he gains the whole world & forfeits his soul?" commentary-  How beneficial is it have everything the world has to offer but never become who you are supposed to be? Jesus wants us to take up our cross and follow him. Taking up your cross meant (in his day) being willing to die a humiliating death. The cross is what criminals had to carry and later be hung from. Many of us aren't even willing to face questions about our faith so we sure would not be willing to die a  physical death. Christ wants total surrender.

Christ wants us to obey him. He doesn't want us to fall for the false teachings of Pharisees and Sadducees (verses 6-12). These were the religious leaders that sought obedience from people for their ways as opposed to God's ways. If we keep hanging on to our old lives and we don't die to ourselves (stop focusing on all of our wants and start focusing on God's) then how can we be useful for God?


For further explanation on taking up your cross, you can find this link useful: http://www.gotquestions.org/take-up-your-cross.html