If any man will come after Me.—Here, as in John 6:67, the Lord gives His apostles the choice whether they will follow Him even now, when the way goes for a time into the depth. If they do it, they shall know beforehand what it will cost them. Whoever follows Him, let him take up his cross daily, a symbol of self-denial which the Saviour would certainly not have adopted by preference if He had not Himself, even already in the distance, beheld this instrument of His own pain and ignominy. There exists no ground for declaring the remarkable καθʼ ἡμέραν (daily), which Luke alone has, an interpolation a seriore manu (serious man). From Jesus Himself does it proceed, and places the extent and the difficulty of this requirement of self-denial in the clearest light. Worthy of notice is it that it is no other than Peter who afterwards so deeply apprehended and so powerfully reëchoed this requirement. (See 1 Peter 4:1–3; and comp. Rom. 6; Col. 3:1–4, &c.)
Lange, J. P., & van Oosterzee, J. J. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Luke (P. Schaff & C. C. Starbuck, Trans.; p. 149). Logos Bible Software. (Public Domain)
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