Footnotes from NIV Life Application Bible:
(16:24)When Jesus used this picture of his followers taking up their crosses to follow Him, the disciples knew what He meant. Crucifixion was a common Roman method of execution, and condemned criminals had to carry their crosses thought the streets to the execution site. Following Jesus, therefore, meant a true commitment, the risk of death, and no turning back.
Matthew 10:39 (NIV) says, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
(10:39)This verse is a positive and negative statement of the same truth; clinging to this life may cause us to forfeit the best from Christ in this world and in the next. The more we love this life's rewards (leisure, power, popularity, financial security), the more we will discover how empty they really are. The best way to enjoy life, therefore, is to loosen our greedy grasp on earthly rewards so that we can be free to follow Christ. In doing so, we will inherit eternal life and begin at once to experience the benefits of following Christ.
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