The way of the cross. [ Matthew 16 v 24-25 ]

In Ezekiel 24v15ffl the prophet is told by God something that was devastating,the wife he loved was going to die, and when she died he was not to mourn ,nor to shed tears. What was to take place was a message to his fellow Israelites ,the thing they loved,and desired was the temple in Jerusalem,would be destroyed.For many the temple of the Lord had taken on a wrong meaning [cp Jeremiah 7v4],religious things can easily take on a wrong meaning,so God has to remove them. Now dear Ezekiel was going loose his dear wife,and he was told not to show any degree of mourning,now it goes without saying this must to have been hard for this dear man.To not shed a tear,it was hard,it is E.L Allen who comments on this,/Men who are called by God often have to pay a heavy price for their concern with human needs, and their identification with Gods purpose.They are called again and again to surrender their private lives to the requirements of their public responsibility/.Billy Graham travelled all over the world preaching ,he was away from his wife and children. Many a dear saint has had to forgo marriage and having a family in the service of our Lord,but such is the way of the cross.
A  prayer..../Dear God help us to never loose sight that it is always the way of the cross that leads home, in Jesus name Amen /