Discipleship in LukeĪs Peter has pointed out, Jesus starts to head toward Jerusalem in Luke 9:51. Let’s consider this passage in its context in Luke.

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. The closest we come to this phrase in Scripture is a sentence in Luke. Perhaps the same could be true of “my cross to bear.” The phrase “in the world but not of the world” is nowhere in Scripture, but it captures some important truths in a helpful way. God tells us a lot about suffering and burdens, but we don’t find this specific phrase in Scripture.īy itself, that doesn’t mean this saying should be discarded. Referring to an acute challenge as a “cross to bear” is not in the Bible. Let’s dispense with one question up front. When we learn to read the Bible carefully-and not just as a grab bag of holy words-we’ll find that God’s call on our lives is more comprehensive than we may have assumed. Many words and phrases may sound religious, but we should take care in our speech. Does the Bible speak about followers of Jesus also bearing a cross? Does it describe that cross-bearing in this way we commonly hear it?Ĭontext matters. “That’s just my cross to bear!”įor Christians, the cross brings to mind specific events and theological realities. Your friend might carry a heavy burden, but if they believe that God is in control, they may affirm his call to follow Jesus with this weight on their back. They might mention chronic pain, their role as a long-term caregiver, or trauma they’ve suffered at the hand of another.

Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about the crosses they bear.

My cross to bear book