Part 48. The cost of following Jesus.

In Luke 9: 23 Jesus is quoted thus:

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

In so doing there is transformation. The sinful nature departs and in its stead the fruits of the Spirit come to the forefront of your thoughts and actions. But, it is not easy, it has to be worked at. There will be setbacks as you wean yourself off the sinful nature.

Becoming a follower or a disciple may be  tricky, a step into the unknown, certainty replaced by uncertainty, doubt instead of confidence and the loss of comfort in what you are leaving.  It may engender excitement, hope, confidence, joy, boldness.  Whatever the emotions stirred, things will be different and there may be no option of turning back.  Following Jesus stirs up emotions and has serious consequences not only for you but also for others.

So what does it mean in a Christian postmodernist context to pick up your cross and follow Jesus?

For many Christians following Jesus is a matter of personal salvation and no more. The problem for Christian postmodernists is that, as they dismiss the concept of overarching, objective, metaphysical concepts, following Jesus has to be something more than personal salvation. There is a need to deconstruct the teaching of the church.

Christian postmodernists argue that the injunction of Jesus to follow me is to work towards the vision proclaimed by Jesus of the reign of God on earth. As we noted in the part on Religionless Christianity we pray for strength to achieve justice for the poor, the disadvantaged,  the marginalised and the oppressed. We love our neighbour. Following Jesus thus takes on a new dimension. It is not inward looking concerned with personal salvation.  it is outward looking and challenging the rich and powerful. Thus it is not without  dangers