One text last Sunday said:
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Choose life. In other words, walking in the way of God means life, and not just eternal life, but the abundant life right now. God’s blessings sure to come.
The other text said:
Luke 14:27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Choose death. In other words, walking in the way of God means death, the struggle of death right now. Troubles sure to come.
Some who spend all their time talking about the theology of the cross without much scriptural reflection upon what they are saying would quickly poo poo the idea found in the first text. They would quickly spiritualize the life that God offers to those who walk in his way. No gleam of glory can be seen. References to TBN and Joel Osteen would abound. Cross. Cross. Cross.
Others who spend all their time trying to smile people into the faith would ignore the point of the second text. They would quickly minimizes what it means to bear the beam. No splinter of the cross should be felt. References to overboard ascetics would be likely. Glory. Glory. Glory.
I must admit I listen to and hang out with the first type of people more than the latter. But I do not think some of the ways they talk about the Christian life are scriptural. They often talk about the theology of the cross in this way. Follow Jesus. Your life will be awful in every way. Rejoice.
To me, the scriptures teach the following in both Testaments. Walk with Christ’s ways. God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit will bless you in this life and the one to come. Walk in Christ’s ways. The devil, the world, and your flesh will hate you and persecute you. Blessings from the Trinity of Holy. Glory. Curses from the trinity of evil.  A Cross.
While these two texts seemed oddly paired, their juxtaposition was illuminating. The Christian’s life by God’s grace does experience glory and by the world’s opposition a cross.
