Mark 8:34-38
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Reflection
Here we hear Jesus tell his disciples three things. The first two are deny themselves and take up the cross. How do you think we as disciples can deny ourselves and pick up our cross? The last thing Jesus instructs His disciples to do is to follow. The first two instructions are in a verb tense that they are a one time decision but the verb tense of ‘follow’ is one that tells us that it is an ongoing action. Why do think it is important that following Jesus is an ongoing
action?
