In many circles Christianity has been greatly watered down.  This has not happened because people don't care or because they are seeking to make the cause of Jesus less than it is.  This watering down has happened in part because preachers and teachers have done such a great job of making Christianity desirable.  The benefits, blessings, possibilities and opportunities of having a real living relationship with God have been laid out with great skill and persistence.  Who wouldn't want the Divine Being working in the background for your benefit?  Who doesn't hope that someone greater than our enemy is our friend?  Who isn't willing to take five minutes out of their busy schedule and solidify their eternal future?

The mistake is that creating a desire in people for the good things of God is not the same as actually bringing them to the enjoyment or possession of those things.  Think about this with me for a moment.  A preacher comes in contact with a person who has never really seen any benefit to Christianity.  He points to the struggles and hardship and loneliness in their life and shows where Christ has come to address those things.  He also brings out the fact that Christianity is also a good way to deal with the certainty of death.  His interested listener agrees that life should and could be better and that it would certainly be good to go to heaven when death comes.  So the person expresses a willingness to trust in Jesus to bring about all these improvements.  The prospect responds and believes that they have now accepted what Jesus was offering.

The real question is what has God offered through Jesus and how do we accept what God has offered?  The realization of the desirability of what Jesus offered is of great worth.  But being convinced that it would be great to have those things is only a part of the issue.  Agreeing with others about how great these offerings are and convincing one another we have successfully accepted and received them is not supposed to be the major function of the church.  But sometimes that is what large groups of people are doing.

Jesus said whoever would come after me would need to deny himself, take up his cross and become a follower.  Jesus was not trying to scare people away or prove that He was serious.  He was really teaching two important things.  He was in a sense assuming that His listeners had come to agree that to approach God through Him was a good thing.  He was basically saying that I know you see the need to come to me but let me make sure you understand what that means.   Secondly He was in a sense saying you are exactly correct in wanting to come to Me but I really want you to have all of what I am bringing so don't fail to receive it.  Deny yourself.  Take up your cross.  Follow Me.

There are many good points that we could make regarding these three instructions by Jesus but I hope to present that in some other writings.  In general this verse expresses the concern that Jesus had with this offering.  Many would want to come but would make a desire to come into a religion.   Jesus was searching for people who wanted the Son of God not in part but in full.  His point was to realize the many ways that we can settle in our lives for less than what we are offered.  The greatest form of settling possible is to accept a form of Jesus Christ that is powerless.  A simple personal question may give these thoughts credibility.  Do you as a follower of Christ believe you have received what the Bible seems to be saying that Jesus was offering?  If you haven't is you level of commitment the impediment?

Jesus was speaking to people who truly were interested in reaching for all that life has to offer.  Sure, some people are content to be self-centered life-avoiding sprayed in the wind people.  Jesus spoke to those who had designs on being their full selves.  He offered something that was not cheap or artificial but real and worthy.  The whole point that Jesus was making was in regard to those who were drawn to him.  He said this to anyone who wanted to approach the divine.  To those who had lifted their eyes above simple existence and mere survival this offer was made. 

I do not want in any way to diminish your desire to follow Christ or make light of what you have done.  I do hope that you will examine your level of acceptance in view of the magnitude of the offer.

Luk 9:(23)  And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.