If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow me.
Mark 8:34
In this passage, Jesus outlines a seemingly direct path to Salvation. By denying one's self "suppressing physical needs, material desires, ego, and pride" and accepting life's burdens, it is possible to achieve true discipleship.
Upon reflection, though, this seemingly straightforward plan may not be so simple. This passage has historically been interpreted as a glorification of suffering: to deny one's self, sacrifice one's self, wipe out any sense of self, and to embrace the cross, is to elevate oneself. Discipleship, to some, is imagined as suffering in this life, presumably in return for rewards to come. If Christ is indeed elevating suffering as a virtue, then martyrdom is the route to eternal life.
However, we must question the extent to which we are to deny ourselves. Why would each of us, as children of God, be blessed with talents and abilities that could improve life for others, only to be asked to suppress those gifts? Perhaps instead, it is by suppressing only our human weaknesses that we can truly let the light of Christ into our lives, and permit us to do God's work in the world.
Tricia Hurlbutt
