Serve in Jesus' Name

Second Sunday in Lent

"Let them take up their cross and follow me" - Mark 8:34

Serve all people, following the example of Jesus. Most of us are far too enthralled by entertainment and consumption. We keep the list of the movies we want to see, the games we want to play, the shows we have to watch, and the sporting events we need to view. Our lives can be consumed by this consumerist mentality, leaving little room for serving the way Jesus served.

Carrying the cross could be a daunting task but through God's grace, we can endure it

Jesus' challenge is clear and unrelenting. If you want to be a follower of Jesus, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow (Mark 8:34). Find sick people and heal them. Sing to them; hold their hands; spend time with them. Write letters to your political leaders advocating for those who are hungry.

Reduce your television consumption by four or six hours per week and instead volunteer at a nursing home, food pantry, or prison. Spend time reading the gospels, and ask yourself, "How can I serve people the way Jesus did?" Pray for God's grace to guide you.

What will it profit you to have a shelf stocked with DVDs, or to claim that you attended every single professional football game of the season, and yet have failed to live a life that took the shape and form of Jesus? There is no room for shame.

We cannot consider these the words of an extremist. They are the words from our Lord, who says, "Take up your cross, and follow." The good news is that the one we follow promises that in losing our lives for the sake of others, we find true life.