What does Mark 8:34 mean?
In Mark 8:33, Jesus faces an echo of His third temptation from Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:8–10): to take an easier path that looks like salvation but really leads to hell on a nicer road. Jesus teaches that we will face the same temptation. Some of Mark's audience, living with persecution from Rome, have to endure literal crosses for their faith, including Mark's possible source, Peter. All of us, however, need to reject the easier life of shallow, culture-pleasing faith, or selfish, carnal "easy-believism" for total surrender. If we're unwilling to deny ourselves, and to follow Christ in our actions as well as our response to our emotions, then we're not really "following" Him, at all."Deny" is from the Greek root word aparneomai and means to insist that you are not associated with someone. To deny yourself means to forget your own self-interest. It doesn't mean to abandon worldly comforts like a monk or to strictly control one's actions via spiritual disciplines, but to refuse rights and privileges that get in the way of God's kingdom. What, specifically, we will have to deny depends on our situation. It could be comfort, worldly responsibilities, or even the connection to our family or past (Luke 9:57–62).
To take up your cross doesn't mean to accept a specific burden from God. It's parallel in meaning to "deny [your]self." If we learn to sacrifice our selves to God, we won't fret about sacrificing our things. We will belong to God, not to our things, position, reputation, or comfort.
This is the first mention of a crowd, but the fact that Jesus calls the crowd to Him before He starts speaking is significant. It means that He addresses the call to deny yourself and take up your cross to all believers, not just Christian leaders. Some are called to a life of ministry. Some are called to sacrifice their lives for God's kingdom. But all of us are called to give up our worldly lives and dedicate ourselves to Christ.
