The Lord's cross-bearing consisted in the doing of the Father's will under unfavorable conditions. This course brought upon Him the envy, hatred, malice, strife, persecution, etc., of those who thought themselves to be God's people, but whom our Lord, who read their hearts, declared to be of their father, the devil. Since we are walking in the same way that our Master walked, we may reasonably expect that our crosses will be of a similar kind to His—oppositions to our doing the will of our Father in Heaven—oppositions to our serving His cause and letting the light shine out as our Master and Leader directed.
The cross means the untoward experiences that we must undergo, while seeking to subject our conduct to the principles of God's Word. Such conduct and no other is implied in the words "come after me." The vast majority will not even manifest such conduct in ordinary circumstances. A small minority will do it in such circumstances; but few indeed of Jesus' followers will do this in every condition. And at times this taxes their strength almost to the snapping point. Yes, if it were not for the Lord's special help, they would be unable to bear their cross. His help, freely and gladly vouchsafed, keeping them from falling, maintains them in discipleship.
Matt. 7:13, 14; 8:19, 20; 10:37-39; 13:45-47; 16:24; Luke 14:26, 28; 18:28-33; Acts 20:22-24; Rom. 14:1—15:3; 1 Cor. 9:25-27; Gal. 5:16, 17, 24; 1 Pet. 2:11-16.
