Before Jesus talks about taking up our cross daily, he says that a disciple must deny his/herself. When Jesus calls for the denying of oneself, He is not referring to a greater self-discipline or denying oneself likings like chocolate or the new iPhone. Rather, when Jesus uses the word ‘deny,’ it is the same word that he used when he informed Peter that he will deny him three times. The understanding of the word ‘deny’ in this sense, it is to disown, to completely separate yourself from the other—just as Peter said to Jesus: I don’t know you, I’m not associated with you, you have no part with me and my life. Therefore, when Jesus is saying that we are to deny ourselves and follow Him, he is calling us to say to ourselves: I don’t know you, I’m not associated with you, I have no part with you any longer. Therefore, to deny ourselves, is to disown our old selfish ways and preferences, and instead follow God’s way.

Today, let’s apply the word ‘deny’ to our old ways as we live the life of discipleship

-GK