NOTES for Mar 8:34-9:1
The Savior's words, "whoever wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me," give us astonishingly concrete instructions. The meaning of His words only seems hard for us to understand. The reason is that it is hard to want to fulfill them.
The experience of life among people, which every person has, gives us an inner knowledge of what it means to deny oneself. It means living not for the sake of your own interests, or any other exalted interests, and not giving others your time and strength as though you were doing them a great favor. It means that another person's need for you, for your help, for your attention, is more important than your needs for anything else. It means that people not only give you an opportunity for humility, but imperiously and harshly demand it, extending their claims to rule right to the very center of your personality.
To accept this for Christ's sake is what it means to take up your cross. The human heart knows all this. At times we even have to act according to this commandment, because there is no other way to build healthy relationships with people. But this happiness turns out to be so painful that it is very hard to agree to it for the sake of the Crucified One.