Mat 10:38 And he who takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me.

"Takes" is lambano, which means "to take" and which, as in English, has a wide variety of meanings in Greek. In means everything from "to seize," "to apprehend by the senses," "to understand," and "to receive." Interestingly, in the NT KJV, it is more often translated as "to receive" than as "to take."

"Cross" is stauros, which means an "upright stake" or "pointed stick" and, of course, the term for the instrument of torture, "the cross."

"Follow" is from akoloutheô (akoloutheo), which means "to follow," and "to go with." It also means "to be guided by" and means following a leader as a disciple.

"After" is opiso, which means "backwards," "behind," "back again," and "hereafter." Interestingly, the Greeks considers the past "in front" because we can see it while the future was "behind" because it was hidden. The use here worlds best as "after me in time."

I find it interesting that opiso is the term that Christ uses in Mat. 4:19 when he says "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." However, in that verse, the term deute, which means "Come."

In the broadest sense, Christ is telling us that we must understand the dangers and still be willing to follow him as a teacher and do as he as done.