These words of Jesus have been repeated so many times we often treat them like a cliche: "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it" (Luke 9:23-24).
Despite the fame of this passage, however, Christians seem to have a difficult time understanding and applying the doctrine Jesus reveals here. The most common interpretation these days is to assume He's talking about some kind of social gospel in which we live for the sake of other people, but this entirely misses the point.
Such a "social gospel" interpretation is no more than a preaching of the Law. If our adherence to Christianity depends on our ability to help other people and to do good, none of us can be considered Christian.
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews
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