DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
St. Mark 8:34-9:1
(3/30) Gospel
for the Sunday of the Adoration of the Cross: 3rd of Lent
Essentials
for All Disciples: St. Mark. 8:34-9:1, especially vs. 34: “...Whoever
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me.” In
Christ, God reveals that He is searching for sinners who will obey Him, freely
admit their sins, and struggle for purity.
Very kindly, the Lord Jesus foretells His rejection, death, and
Resurrection (Mk. 8:31), and, from His Passion, enlarges the vision of what is
essential for the Christian struggle: self-denial, taking up one’s own
cross, and following Him in whatever suffering ensues (Mk. 8:34).
Consider self-denial. The
Lord does not restrict self-denial only to ascetic practices - to
“askesis,” meaning “exercise.” The serious Christian undertakes ascetic
exercises - fasting, vigils,
prayer, and almsgiving with a very specific end in mind. In
Still, we have committed ourselves to being “thrown” by the
rebellious self a thousand times “for the excellence of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus [our] Lord” (Phil. 3:8). And God in His mercy has set before us this
superior opportunity to address our rebellious self in this life - an effort
aimed at gaining Christ’s will as our own will. As the Elder Joseph the Hesychast says,
“For if you endure the daily ascesis, every time you coerce your soul to
bear a cold word, a derision, a reproach, you become a confessor. Every time you have patience, you
receive a crown, and it is considered by God to be a daily martyrdom for
you.”[1] Such is self denial.
Closely related to self-denial is “taking up one’s
cross,” not the Lord’s Cross, but one’s own cross, the one
with my name on the placard. This
cross is to embrace with the love of the Lord Jesus all who surround
us. Most especially our cross is
everyone who “waves red flags” to provoke the “fighting
bull” within us. God brings
into our lives those who aggravate, irritate, and inflame our passions to
provide us with opportunities for suffering love. We do not need to seek in strange places
for suffering. He gives them in the
accidents of our residence, financial agreements, social contacts, professional
relationships, spiritual fellowships, and parish life.
The Lord Jesus shapes each cross to develop the commitment of those He
loves, so that they will carry out His will, die to their own desires and
exhibit His will through their words and deeds. Nothing is forced in this; still, the
Lord is quite direct about the choice: “For whoever desires to save his
life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the
Gospel’s will save it” (Mk. 8:35). Salvation lies in trying again and again
to tame the “raging bull.”
How do we know we really are denying self and taking up our cross? The Lord indicates the way: when we
follow Him and His words and have no shame (vs. 38). In what circumstance, what challenge,
and what choice is He not leading us in a very specific direction? Every decision is a “Yes” or
a “No” for Christ, no matter how small or inconsequential I may
deem it.
St. John Chrysostom reveals Christ’s meaning: “‘If any
man will come after
To Thee, O Savior of the world, do we travel early, praising Thee, having found safety in Thy Cross, through which Thou didst renew mankind and led us to the never-setting light.[3]