A Follower Or A Fan?

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED (LUKE 9:57-62)

A man wrote to his pastor:

“Dear Pastor, you often stress attendance at worship as being very important for a Christian, but I think a person has a right to miss now and then. I think every person ought to be excused for the following reasons and the number of times indicated:

Christmas (Sunday before or after)

New Year (Party lasted too long)

Easter (Get away for holidays)

July 4 (National holiday)

Labor Day (Need to get away)

Memorial Day (Visit hometown)

School Closing (Kids need break)

School Opens (One last fling)

Family Reunions (Mine & wife’s)

Sleep late (Saturday night activities)

Deaths in Family

Anniversary (Second honeymoon)

Sickness (One per family member)

Business Trips (A must)

Vacation (Three weeks)

Bad Weather (Ice, snow, rain, clouds)

Ball games

Unexpected Company (Can’t walk out)

Time changes (Spring ahead; fall back)

Special on TV (Super Bowl, etc.)

Pastor, that leaves only two Sundays per year. So, you can count on us to be in church on the fourth Sunday in February and the third Sunday in August unless providentially hindered.”

Sincerely,

A Faithful Member

When Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he met three potential disciples. Matthew 8:19-21 tells us that the first person is a scribe and the second a disciple. The first and third offered to follow Jesus, but the second was commanded to follow Jesus. In the end none was likely to go. In the road of discipleship many are called but few are willing.

Are you a fan or a follower of Jesus? Who is a follower of Christ? What does God expect from His people and followers? Why is following the ways of our Lord better than f0llwing the wisdom of the world?

Choose to Possess Christ Above All

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:57-58)

Do you like to see soccer? One of my coworker has a Whatsapp image that impressed my wife too. A huge fan of Manchester United, his phone image is a club badge ablazed with fire on the sides. It was so striking that I searched for it on the internet in vain.

What is a fan? A fan is one who is devoted to a person, team or a thing in the realm of sports, entertainment or personality. Today’s fans display their affection to the object of their affection on the internet and other forms of social media. Fans buy their products, publicize their loyalty and drive the celebrities’ success. The problem with a fan is that the intensity does not last. After the glitter, glamor and glory fade, the fan transfers his allegiance and attention to another. Nobody follows a shooting star.

A follower, on the other hand, is there for the long haul. I am still a supporter of Leeds Football Club that played in the less glamorous Championship (one level short of the Premier League). They were great in the 70s but now they are stuck in the championship league for many years and even dropped two divisions at one time.

Jesus did not call us to be fans, but followers of Him. The Transfiguration in Luke 9 is the turning point of the book, separating and distinguishing fans from followers. The word “glory” appears three times in the chapter (Luke 9:26, 31, 32) - more than any chapter in Luke, and the city of Jerusalem is mentioned three times (vv 31, 51, 53) as well. Peter, James and John saw His glory (v 32), but Jerusalem was also the scene of Jesus’ suffering, rejection and death (v 22, 31). Jesus was “resolute” (v 51) or “steadfast” (KJV) to go to Jerusalem.

The first man offered to follow Jesus in the future tense (v 57), but he did not understand His resolve or requirement. Jesus was not going to Jerusalem to be crowned, but to be crucified. A cross, and not a coronation, awaited him. At the end of the journey was persecution and not popularity, rejection and not reception, execution and not exaltation

The verbs “suffer,” “reject” and “kill” (v 22) appear for the first time in the Gospel of Luke. The Son of man will not only suffer, but suffer “many” things (Matt 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22). It would not be light, lenient or likable. It was a “must” (v 22), not a maybe.

Fox holes (v 58) are a certainty in the wild. Foxes are not picky or particular. They are known to make homes from other animals’ dens. Foxes have caves, cubs and choices. Birds, on the other hand, have nests. Do you know when sparrows can nest in sand, banks and roads. On the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was not afforded the same kind of shelter, safety or security.