Jesus is locked in! (Luke 14:25-33). As he turns toward Jerusalem, where he will be crucified, he is no longer interested in drawing crowds, but his interested in making disciples. To winnow out those not focused, he challenges his disciples to pick up their cross.
Pastor Rob reflects on what it means to pick up our cross. This does not mean to die for the sins of the world like Jesus.
Rather, carrying our cross means doing challenging things, even sacrificial things, for others.
But with this command also comes the pitfall of thinking that every person's suffering and challenge is ours to redeem. It is not. Following Jesus also means entrusting others and situations to his cross, not ours.
This is a hard thing to figure out - when to carry the burden and when to entrust it to God. For this reason, we must follow Jesus, because working through this decision involves time with Jesus, in prayer, holding to the promise that in the cross of Christ, there is finally redemption.
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