Martin Luther once said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” (from Philip Gunther’s intro.) What does Jesus mean when he says, “Follow me”? We need to ask ourselves, am I just tagging along or truly following Jesus?
When Jesus says to us, “Follow me,” we need to see where he’s going. Because following Jesus includes going down the same path and to the same place while practicing the same attitudes and actions that he does.
Luke’s gospel makes a turn here at chapter 9. It is an important transition in Jesus’ ministry that marks a major milestone of the beginning of the end of his earthly life. From this point on, Jesus is heading for Jerusalem and he knows exactly what awaits him there. Jesus knows why he came and what he is up against. He knows that this journey will lead him into conflict and suffering. He will face abandonment of his disciples and betrayal by Judas Iscariot. He will be arrested on trumped up charges and be falsely accused by the very Jewish leaders that are supposed to teach and practice the Law of God, yet they miserably broke it as they piously put Jesus to death. Jesus knows what is coming. He knows it full well.
Look with me at a few passages in Luke 9 that tell us this and remind us that Jesus willingly went to the cross, obedient to his Father’s will. Jesus was following his Father’s will, and along the way he calls others to follow him too. He also teaches his own disciples and us what following him is all about.
Look at 18-26. Is there any doubt here that Jesus knows what he will face? Did you notice what Jesus expects of those who follow him? This definition sets the course of the rest of this gospel. Jesus describes a radical calling here. So radical, so self-sacrificial, we want to turn away from it. Do we dare answer this call?
Look at 28-31. What did Moses and Elijah discuss with Jesus here? This is followed up by God’s confirmation of Jesus as the one we must listen to: 32-35. Wow! Above Moses and Elijah, God is saying, “This is My Son, listen to Him!” God is confirming not only that Jesus must go to Jerusalem to die, but also this: When Jesus calls us to follow him, we must listen and do it, no matter what!
Next in Luke 9 Jesus heals a demon possessed boy and as everyone is amazed at this he turns to his disciples and says this: 44. Don’t get so impressed with what just happened that you forget where I’m going and what’s going to happen to me. Following Jesus is not about making big impressions on people through powerful works of wonder. That may happen, but that’s not the point.
After this the disciples have an argument about who among them is the greatest. Typical! Are they listening to Jesus? Are they getting the point? Is his message getting through to them? Seeking greatness is not what it means to follow Jesus.
Then John pipes up and tells Jesus that they saw someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name, but we tried to stop him, because he doesn’t follow with us. What does Jesus say in return? 50. Jesus isn’t building a campaign. His disciples are not to spend their time shooting down others that are doing good things in Jesus’ name, but not joining their following. This is a distraction at best, and destructive at worst. Trying to stop others who aren’t with us who are doing good things in the name of Jesus is not what it means to follow Jesus!
Then look at verse 51. The days are drawing near for Jesus. Jesus sets his face to go to Jerusalem. The Samaritans reject Jesus because of this. Interesting. Luke’s gospel is the one that tells more positive stories about Samaritans than any other, yet here we see their prejudice coming out against Jesus because he is heading to Jerusalem. The Samaritan rejection made James and John upset! They were mad! Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven and burn them up! Oooooh! Youuuuuu! Samaritans!
Jesus rebukes them! Retaliating against those who reject you is not what it means to follow Jesus!
And now we come to the very last part of the chapter. This last part is very concentrated. It is all about following Jesus. Two people tell Jesus that they will follow him and one person Jesus calls and says to him, “Follow me.” These three cases reveal the radical commitment following Jesus entails.
57-58. This first guy is obviously impressed with Jesus. Perhaps he has seen Jesus feed the 5000, or heal the demon possessed boy. What he sees he likes so he says to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go!” Now think about those words. Isn’t this a good commitment? You know, Peter told Jesus the same thing on the night he was betrayed. Peter stood their right with Jesus after Jesus told him that by morning Peter would deny him three times. Peter stood there and said, “Never! I will die with you! I will never deny you!” Those were his words to Jesus. That was his promise to Jesus. He said, “I will never deny you!” But he did.
This person comes up to Jesus in Luke 9:57 and says some impressive words of commitment. But Jesus reply indicates that he needs to rethink. Following Jesus means letting go of earthly stuff. Remember the rich young ruler? He said he wanted eternal life, but when Jesus told him how to get it, he turned away. Why are you following Jesus Christ? How deep is your commitment?
A beautiful young woman was married to a wealthy but elderly gentleman. One day he asked her, "honey, if I lost all my money somehow, would you still love me? I mean, if I lost my mountain chalet, my yacht, and even my French villa, would you still love me?" "Of course I would," she cooed, "and I would miss you, too."
Our society needs to learn some things about commitment. Who will teach us and how will we learn it? Jesus reply to this want-to-be disciple points to the chief teacher and example of commitment. Jesus points to himself. Jesus left heaven and gave up glory to ransom us. His life was a life of poverty. Jesus is saying here that his commitment is the picture of what ours is to be. Following Jesus isn’t just tagging along, it is taking our cross and going with him.
59-60 tells us another lesson about the radical commitment of following Jesus: it comes before even the most dutiful responsibilities toward our most devoted relationships.
Now the Bible makes it clear elsewhere that Christians are to be faithful family members. Paul reminds us, Honor your father and your mother, and anyone who doesn’t take care of his own family is worse than an unbeliever. But that’s part of why there’s such power in Jesus’ statement here. This is a radical commitment! Those earthly ties that are most precious to us are not to stand above our commitment to Christ. If called to choose between the two, Jesus stands high above all. Following Jesus is the one commitment that all others answer to. Do we dare to live in the world imagined by that kind of commitment? Did Jesus really expect us to?
What did Jesus say? Listen to Matthew 10:34-39 in a parallel passage to the first part of Luke 9.
Finally, look at the last two verses of Luke 9. (61-62). There is a punch to these last three interchanges with Jesus that God wants us to see here in Luke. Following Jesus is serious business. The commitment involved is a radical one that defies reason and relationships. It is a kind of reckless abandon of self preservation and personal relationships for the sake of the kingdom of God.
There is a song we used to sing when I was growing up, “It pays to serve Jesus.” That is very true. But Jesus also wants us to realize, “It costs to serve Jesus first.”
People have been recklessly committed to much less.
(From Kerry Bauman’s intro.) (Senator John McCain was held as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese camp for several years. He relays this story about his interment.) In the final years of our imprisonment, our captors moved us from small cells with one or two prisoners to large rooms with as many as 30-40 men. We preferred this situation for the companionship and strength we could draw from one another. In addition to moving us to new quarters, the North Vietnamese let us receive packages and letters from home. Many of us heard from our families for the first time in years. In our cell was a Navy officer, Lt. Commander Mike Christian. Over a period of time he managed to gather bits and pieces of red and white cloth from some of the packages. Using a piece of bamboo as a needle, Mike sewed a U.S. flag on the inside of his blue prison shirt. Every night in our cell, Mike would put his shirt on the wall and we would say the pledge of allegiance. I know that the pledge of allegiance may not be the most important aspect of our day now, but I can tell you that at the time, it was the most important aspect of our lives. This had been going on for some time when the guards came in as we were reciting the pledge. The ripped the flag from the wall and dragged Mike out. He was beaten for several hours and thrown back into the cell. Later that night, as we were settling down to sleep on the concrete slabs that were our beds, I noticed Mike, still bloody and swollen from his terrible beating, gathering bits and pieces of cloth together. He was sowing a new American flag.
This story can be seen here:
http://legacy.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/070706/pow.shtml
We all understand radical commitment. We see it even in the evil world around us. But the radical commitment in Christ receives not only God’s endorsement, but also God’s Holy Spirit power to aid.
I wrote this pledge and would ask you to repeat it after me, if you agree with it:
I pledge allegiance to the Lord
of the universe and all that is in it.
And to the Church for which He died,
One body, in Christ,
with liberty and mercy for all.
Do you realize when you are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, that you make a pledge?
When you take the communion bread and drink the cup, you share in the body and blood of Jesus Christ and in essence pledge your loyalty to Him and His Church again and again.
Think about this with me:
Is your pledge to Christ above your country? Job? Sports? Entertainment choices?
Is it above friends, fashion, possessions, or career?
Is it above boyfriend/girlfriend, brother/sister, son/daughter, husband/wife, mother/father?
As you answer that, think about this:
How much was Jesus Christ committed to saving you?
Was it above country? Job? Sports? Entertainment choices?
Was it above friends, fashion, possessions, or career?
Was it above His own family?
When Jesus says, "Follow me," what did he mean?
When you say, "I will follow Jesus," what do you mean?
