And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me.
και ος ου λαμβανει τον σταυρον αυτου και ακολουθει οπισω μου ουκ εστιν μου αξιος
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Can you recognize the honor of the Lord? Notice how He instructs that everything must be abandoned and that love for Him should take precedence over all else, demonstrating that He is truly the only begotten Son of the Father. And what shall be said, He inquired, regarding friends and family? Even if you hold your soul dear to love me, you remain distant from being my disciple.
He who does not relinquish this life and submit to a disgraceful death, as the ancients understood the cross, is unworthy of Me. However, recognizing that many are executed as criminals, He added: ‘and follows Me,’ meaning that one must live in accordance with My commandments.
Another Gospel states, ‘He who does not take up his cross daily’ (Luke 9:23). This signifies that the cross is to be borne continually. It is insufficient to believe that intense faith alone is adequate; we must consistently demonstrate our devotion to Christ.
He regards the cross as the demise of all earthly desires, for it served as the means of death. The individual who seeks to follow Christ must put to death worldly indulgences just as He did. Those who walk in His path are truly His followers.
The Lord continues to guide us in understanding His teachings. After instructing us to forsake all that is treasured in this world, He stated, "Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:38). This underscores that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh along with its passions and desires. One is deemed unworthy of Christ if he does not embrace his cross, which signifies our suffering, death, burial, and resurrection as we follow the Lord in this sacred act of faith, living out the renewal brought by the Spirit.
"He that hath saved his soul shall lose it; and he that hath lost his soul through me shall save it." It is through the authority of His word and the rejection of sinful behaviors that He enables the soul to find life in death and to experience redemption. Therefore, we must accept death as part of our new existence and confront our sins through the Lord’s cross. Despite facing persecution, we are called to maintain the freedom that comes from our bold confession.
Whoever prioritizes their father or mother above Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:37). Since God the Father sacrificed His cherished Son for our sake, and the only-begotten Son of God offered Himself for us, it is reasonable to assert that we must disregard those who are close to us by blood if they hinder our pursuit of righteousness and a life that aligns with this truth. Why emphasize those related to us? Because, when the moment arises, each individual must be willing to lay down their life; this is both just and essential for anyone seeking eternal life. The Son of God laid down His life on our behalf; consequently, He states, 'He who does not take up his cross, and follow in my footsteps, is not worthy of Me' (Matthew 10:38).
The cross signifies the need to put to death the flesh along with its desires and passions. Therefore, in times of peace, when we cultivate virtue by overcoming sinful desires, we take up our cross and follow the Lord.
To ensure that those who lived during the Old Testament, both before and during the Law, are included among those saved through the power of the cross, did not Christ Himself, through whom all things exist, declare before the Cross's arrival, 'He who does not take up his cross, and follow Me, is not worthy of Me' (Matthew 10:38)? Notice how, even before the Cross was meant to be exalted, it had already begun its work of salvation.
In discussing the Lord's command that 'He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me' (Matthew 10:38), the Monk Cassian presents his thoughts: ‘The fear of the Lord represents our cross. Just as one who has been crucified is unable to move or respond to the desires of the flesh, we too must align our wills and aspirations not with our immediate pleasures, but with the Law of God and His commandments. Like the individual nailed to the cross, who no longer finds joy in the present or is distracted by future concerns, detached from personal desires and free from pride or resentment, he does not mourn current humiliations nor dwell on past ones; even while still living in the body, he perceives himself as dead, focusing his heart on the eternal destiny he longs to reach.
In this manner, we are called to be crucified in reverence to God, which means we must experience death—not merely to the sinful desires of the flesh, but to their very origins, keeping our spiritual gaze on our ultimate hope. Through this commitment, we can attain the mortification of all our carnal desires.’ It is evident that the crucifixion of the fear of God that Cassian describes aligns with the insight of Isaac the Syrian, which resonates with the Apostle's teaching on crucifying the flesh along with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24), representing the first stage of the spiritual journey towards the perfection to which each Christian is called.
The Cross, as articulated by the Holy Fathers, refers to the various trials that God permits us to encounter during our earthly existence. These trials differ for each individual and are closely linked to one’s unique passions; this is why it is said that everyone has ‘his own cross.’ We are urged to embrace this cross, recognizing the worthiness of the challenges we face, and to endure them graciously, following the example of Christ, who provides the humility necessary to bear such tribulations. The teachings of our Lord carry a serious warning for those who fail to endure their sufferings with patience: they are rejected by Him. By expressing complaints and bitterness amidst their trials, they reveal that their minds and hearts lack the illumination of divine grace, indicating that the Lord is not present with them; for it is only the Lord who imparts true humility to His faithful servants.
Whoever seeks to preserve their life will ultimately lose it. It is preferable to sacrifice oneself for God and gain eternal life than to pursue one’s own desires and face eternal separation. If He who had the power to avoid death chose to give His life for us, how much more should we, who are destined to die regardless, willingly lay down our lives for Him! Moreover, if the Lord laid down His life for His servants without expectation of reward, it is only right that the servant should offer his life for the Lord, anticipating a heavenly reward.
What does the cross signify? It embodies the mortification of earthly desires and sinful inclinations; the term "crucify" implies bringing to death, as articulated by the Divine Apostle, who states, “The disciples of Christ crucified the flesh with passions and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). Let me not speak only of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world was rendered dead to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14). The one who takes up the cross is the individual who masters the flesh and flees from the desires of this life; this person carries the cross, bringing an end to the sinful passions and earthly cravings. How do we emulate Christ's path? We do so by following His example, committing to live as He did.
Christ endured suffering for us and provided us with a blueprint to follow in His steps (1 Pet. 2:21). The one who mirrors Christ’s walk keeps His life as a guiding image and standard, striving ardently to embody all His deeds. Consequently, Paul, in his discipleship to Christ, urged, “Be ye imitators of me, even as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Observe the consistency of these divine teachings: first, it is said that one must receive the cross, and then follow in My steps; for the disciple of Christ first conquers the carnal desires of the world and subsequently practices the virtues of Jesus Christ. Therefore, anyone who fails to accomplish both aspects is unworthy of being a disciple of Jesus Christ and does not merit the heavenly kingdom of God.
Christ emphasizes that even if you prioritize your soul's love for Him, it does not qualify you as His disciple. Anyone who does not carry their cross is unprepared for the afflictions and tribulations that God allows, which serve to mortify the desires of the flesh and the temptations of the world. To follow Him means to accept one’s cross in the same manner that He bore His; those who refuse to do so are unworthy of Him. Whoever cannot renounce their current life and is unwilling to face a disgraceful death—reflecting the ancient perspective of the cross—is not deserving of Christ. Blessed Theophylact notes that while many are crucified as criminals, Christ adds that one must also follow Him, which means living according to His teachings.
In the Gospel of Luke, the Savior more forcefully states that if anyone comes to Him and does not despise their father, mother, spouse, children, siblings, and even their own life, they cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26). This command does not advocate for actual hatred, which is unequivocally wrong, but rather prioritizes love for Him above all. Such misplaced affection can lead to ruin for both the lover and the beloved. So, who truly walks in the footsteps of Christ? It is the one who adheres to His holy commandments and seeks to emulate Him in every possible way.
To "take up one's cross" signifies a willingness to endure intense suffering and death. This expression draws on the practice where those sentenced to crucifixion were required to carry their own crosses to the site of their execution (Luke 23:26, John 19:17). Bearing the cross was both a heavy and dishonorable burden that intensified the agony of the condemned. Therefore, taking up one’s cross serves as a metaphor reflecting that, as we follow Christ and become His disciples, we are called to face all forms of suffering and trials that may be painful and humiliating, should God choose to permit them. In these statements, one can discern a subtle foreshadowing of the Lord’s own crucifixion, even if the full significance was not yet apparent to His followers.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS