Self-denial: The conditions for discipleship presented in this section of the Gospel are not necessarily the precise conditions laid out for the historical disciples of Jesus but for the members of Matthew’s community.
First, an authentic follower of Jesus is willing to deny self. For Matthew, to deny means that one is willing to disown self (cf 10:33; 26:34-35). One’s self cannot be the center of one’s existence. Only Jesus can be the center of one’s existence.
The denial of self reaches its high point on the cross, where Jesus denies himself as the Son of God, and suffers and dies a less than human death. Therefore, the authentic disciple (Christian) is one who is willing to take up the cross—the one who is willing to give up his or her life, like Jesus did.
The second condition of discipleship, then, is a willingness to stand firm in faith to death. In this way, one follows Jesus. Such self-denial and cross-carrying and following Jesus might look like death at first. However, one who wishes to save one’s life will lose it, while one who loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it. God’s ways are the total reversal of human ways. If one denies Jesus, disowns faith in him when faced with persecution, in order to preserve earthly life, such a person will forfeit eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. If, on the other hand, one stands firm in faith when faced with persecution (as did Jesus) and ends up giving up one’s life, then this person will share in the everlasting life of the kingdom of heaven.