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By Mark Wilmoth
Early Twentieth Century London might not seem like a breeding ground for Communism, but in 1903, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin were among the 50 or so attendees at the Second Congress of Social Democrats. Disillusioned and frustrated with the policies of Russia's ruling family, these men discussed their desire for change and planned a revolution. The seeds planted in London at that Congress grew into the October Revolution of 1917 that gave birth to the Soviet Union.
Speaking at that conference (held mostly in pubs, so that attendees could move easily from place to place and avoid scrutiny by the authorities), Lenin told the group that the implementation of Communism would require "4 Totals" - total acceptance of the cause, total dedication to the cause, total discipline in the cause and total action for the cause. Those men must have made that commitment, for today, Communism is the economic platform of about 1/3 of the world's population.
Jesus wasn't an economist (although he talked about the role of money and possessions more than any other topic, but that's another column), but Jesus did teach his disciples about total commitment to the cause. Luke 9:23-26 (NIV) tells us that "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
No one needed to explain "cross" to First Century residents of the Roman Empire. The population saw crosses frequently as Roman authorities put criminals and revolutionaries to death. Crucifixion was designed to be a slow, painful and public death, one so terrible that it would prompt witnesses to say to themselves, "I don't ever want that to happen to me!" Yet Jesus not only predicted that a cross would be part of his own future, he demanded that his followers be ready to face the same fate: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily…"
Before we move on, let's take note of the word "daily." Followers of Christ sacrifice resources, time, energy and even their own egos. Sometimes we're tempted to feel good about ourselves because of what we "gave up for Jesus." But that was yesterday, and cross bearing is a daily chore. What are you doing today?
The reward makes any sacrifice worthwhile. When explorer and missionary David Livingstone was honored by the British Parliament, he spoke to the government with one arm hanging limply by his side, useless, mauled by a lion. But when someone commented about the sacrifices Livingstone had made to spread the Gospel in the interior of Africa, Livingstone responded, "Sacrifice? I've never made a sacrifice in my life!" The joys of serving the King of Kings, and the promise of an eternal reward in Heaven made the "sacrifices" of earth seem insignificant.
Millions have filed past Lenin's tomb in Red Square, paying tribute to the man who laid the foundation for modern day Russia. The inscription on Lenin's tomb reads, "He was the greatest leader of all people, of all kind. He was the lord of the new humanity. He was the savior of the world." Take note that each of those sentences is in the past tense: "He was..." As historically significant as Lenin might have been, he's gone and modern-day Russians are in a bit of a quandary about whether his body should now be buried. Lenin "was."
Jesus is. The tomb of Jesus is empty, and Jesus' promise is not only that he will come back for his disciples but that "Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Only Jesus could make that promise, a promise that his followers will not only live a meaningful life on earth, but that they will also enjoy a future with God in eternity. Even though the road to Heaven often seems difficult and long, who would look back from Heaven's gates and think about the "sacrifices"? We'll say, "Sacrifice? I've never made a sacrifice in my life!"
Mark Wilmoth is with Pinehurst Christian Church in Marietta and can be reached at Minister@PinehurstChristianChurch.org