WATCHWORD:
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. 22 “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” 23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Luke 9:21-24
28 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. 29 As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” 34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. Luke 19:28-35
Consider This:
The Road Back – Lenten Week #6
The hero has committed to completing the journey and accepted that they may never return to their ordinary world.
Have you ever returned from an ordeal as a changed person? How were you received? Were you able to maintain the New You or did you find yourself being pressured to become who you once were? After a life changing event, familiar relationships either anchor or change us. how do you stay true to your new self? What does it mean to you, specifically, to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, follow Christ and lose your life? See The Ordeal – Lenten Week #5
Closing Prayers:
O wondrous God, out of your great love, you sent Jesus to offer us the free gift of salvation. But He warned us that there is a cost to being his disciple. Being Jesus People means we face the daily challenge of living the life we are called to live. It is not a part time commitment nor a social engagement to attend. Grant us the grace to daily take up your cross and to faithfully follow Jesus our savior. Amen.
God, give me the strength to embrace and embody all that you have shown and taught me. Amen.
