Thoughts on Cross-bearing discipleship

St. Luke the Evangelist (1st Century):

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-33, ESV).

St. Basil the Great (4th Century):

In recieving the Baptism of water, we make this same agreement when we promise to be crucified and to die and to be buried with him.

St. Symeon the New Theologian (10th Century):

[In times of peace, when there is no persecution] the cross and death consist in nothing else than the complete putting to death of self-will. He who pursues his own will, however slightly, will never be able to observe the law of Christ the Savior.

Father John Wesley (18th Century):

[On giving up all that we have]: Withdraw the affections from the creatures and enjoy them only in God; enjoy them only for God, only in such a manner as leads to God.

The lord bishop N.T. Wright (21st Century):

Many of Jesus' followers then as now, have owned houses and lands, and have not felt compelled to abandon them. But being prepared to do so is the sign that one has understood the seriousness of the call to follow Jesus.