Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24
“Adrian was exposed to a lion, and not being despatched by that beast, but only mangled, was at length killed by the sword. Eubulus was treated in the same manner two days later. The judge offered him his liberty if he would sacrifice to idols; but the Saint preferred a glorious death, and was the last that suffered in this persecution at Caesarea, which had now continued twelve years…”
“It is in vain that we take the name of Christians, or pretend to follow Christ, unless we carry our crosses after Him. It is in vain that we hope to share in His glory, and in His kingdom, if we accept not the condition. We cannot arrive at heaven by any other road but that which Christ held, Who bequeathed His cross to all His elect as their portion and inheritance in this world.”
Adrian and Eubulus of Magantia The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 5 March reading.
As I read The Lives of the Saints on my travels, I have found inspiration in their willingness to accept the condition of sacrifice of even their lives. A closer look reveals they embrace the cross as their portion and inheritance. They moved toward not away from suffering. On our first day in Ukraine, on the bus, I got a glimpse of suffering.
Every person on the bus, with the exception of the driver and steward who assisted and one other person, was a woman. Many who had fled the conflict appeared to be returning.
Then at the border crossing, let’s just say the young man with the machine gun was someone’s teenage son. I report these observations alongside a statement related to Adrian and Eubulus of Magantia for this purpose.
Our world is filled with brokenness and suffering. The Christian life must play some part in bringing healing and this might make us uncomfortable.
One young woman who befriended us on the bus, thanks to her limited English, thanked us for coming and going all the way to her home city, Kharkiv, from which she fled for her life.
If you take the name “Christian” ask God what it means for you to carry your cross after Him.