Surrender and Submission

Scripture:

Luke 9:23   Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. ²⁵ What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? ²⁶ Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷ But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

Observation:

We recall that Jesus’ focus is on the training and mentoring of his inner-circle, the disciples. Over and over he reiterates the mission, and the cost of participating in this work. Those who are with him have chosen to be his followers, but he wants them to know that there is more than what they are currently experiencing. The immediate work in which they were engaging may have been quite exciting. Being with Jesus day after day and watching him perform miracles must have been overwhelming. Everything was provided for them, day in and day out, and yet, Jesus was telling them that there was more to come. 

The concept of the cross was not unfamiliar, but it certainly was not a pleasant metaphor. They all knew about crucifixions — a terrible form of capital punishment reserved for slaves and the the worst criminals in the Roman empire. To carry the cross was to shoulder the cross-beam on the way to the place where you would face death. This was symbolic of complete surrender and submission to the Empire. Therefore, Jesus was asking the disciples to not only follow him, but entirely surrender or submit to his power and authority. This was to happen on a daily basis. John Wesley provided a warning for his readers, “Therefore that day is lost wherein no cross is taken up.” 

The original language here is very intentional about the will, or the desires of the followers. It could be translated more like, “if you will to come after me…” Therefore, you have a choice here and taking up the cross on a daily basis becomes an intentional act of the will. Self denial is a part of the Christian life, and is also a willful act of submission to the cross of Christ. 

Therefore, those who intentionally will to control their own lives will discover that, in the long haul, they will lose what they have. And those who intentionally submit and surrender their lives to the authority of the Christ of the cross, will discover that they have found life in the kingdom of God.

The language of profit and gain comes straight from the marketplace. This is something about which they are to serious think and consider. The profit will only come in the long run if they follow Jesus every day. The loss will be great, for the forfeit is like the loss of war, including the loss of life and all material goods — it is complete. 

A lifestyle of humility is to be considered in following after Jesus, where there is no shame in submitting to him and his authority. This is a life of total commitment that may lead to a life of suffering and martyrdom. 

Application:

The language of surrender and submission is not very popular in contemporary culture. In a world where everyone is their own god, the concept of surrender becomes almost repulsive. The Roman empire expected entire submission from their subjects, and those who refused were shown the way of the cross. 

In my tradition we speak of holiness and the need for entire sanctification. In some ways, I believe that this is what Jesus meant by this challenge to his followers. There are plenty of people in this world who enjoy being followers of Jesus Christ. They like attending their nice churches, or the ones with the best on-line programs. People search to find the best product for their children so they have the nicest church experience. This is the easy way to follow Jesus, but it doesn’t require any kind of wholehearted commitment. Instead it is the way of the crowd, and we know that when he died on the cross, they were no where to be found. Who were those who would make it all the way to the end — those willing to be persecuted? They were the ones who learned what it meant to surrender and submit their lives to the authority of God. 

The call in the gospel was not just for those first disciples. The very reason that the gospel was written was so that following generations of disciples would know what was required of them when it came to following Christ. The holiness movement was powerful and transformative because people learned what it meant to take up their cross and follow Jesus. Those who came before us wholeheartedly surrendered their lives to the authority of Jesus Christ. They submitted to what Christ might want from them in their lives and this included self-denial. No wonder John Wesley warned his followers that a day without taking up your cross, is a day that is lost. 

Jesus is still calling us to take up our cross. We are to surrender every part of our lives to his authority. Our stubborn will, our wants, our relationships, and our desires, need to be give over to Christ. Every day we willfully and intentionally deny ourselves and choose to follow Jesus. This may not result in the prettiest church, or the greatest children’s program, but it will result in Christlikeness. 

Prayer:

Lord, I submit myself to you today. Amen.