Deny Yourself
This Gospel is not comfortable. Jesus is talking to everyone — "sa lahat" — not just apostles, not just priests. Lahat ng gustong sumunod. And He gives three verbs, three non-negotiables. Hindi optional, hindi suggestion. Condition. 1. LIMUTIN ANG SARILI — Deny Yourself First verb: arnesásthō heauton — deny, disown, say no to self. We live in a generation that says: "Follow yourself. Love yourself. Express yourself." Jesus says opposite: "Deny yourself." Does He hate us? No. He knows the self we protect is often the false self — yung self na makasarili, mapagmataas, laging bida. In San Pablo, we say: "Ako muna." Sa traffic — ako muna. Sa pila — ako muna. Sa pamilya — ako muna. That "ako muna" is what destroys community. Denying self does not mean you hate yourself. It means you stop making yourself the center of universe. You move from ako to Ikaw, Lord and kayo, kapwa . Practical: Today, saan mo kailangang limutin sarili?...
