What Kinda Deal?

“18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”  23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves;” (Matt 8)

I don’t know if I’m right in this but after the age of thirteen, I no longer drag my sons to church with me.  They are at the age where they must now choose to follow.  As Peter says to the shepherds, “not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” (1Pete 5)  If it’s good for the shepherd, I figure it’s good for the sheep.  God gives us love, love He desires in return.  Compulsory obedience and grudging slavery breed resentment, passive aggressive resistance and eventually a loathing of the holy.  This does not bring glory to God.  No more than a child’s muttered, angry, “sorry,” is true repentance.  God is concerned with the heart, not appearances!  As Paul says, “6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Cor 9)  Whether money, time, submission or obedience, if it is not freely given, it is not love.  If done in trade for selfish gain, it is not love. 

“5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phpp 2)  Jesus. Is. God.  He is king!  “14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),” (Ex 34)  Though Jesus is willing to humble himself to the lowest kind of servitude.  Though he is willing to give up everything he has, let his own creation strike him, spit on him, insult him, strip him and kill him, he is still I AM!  And all the more so because of his thrice blessed humility and obedient love!  A distant, angry god we might justifiably resent, at least from our perspective.  But this God as a baby?  This God in dirty sandals and sweaty tunic?  This God who touches lepers?  This God who forgives and restores whores?  Who drives out demons?  Who goes to a cross which bears a sign that should have read, “Place Your Name Here ________”???

Anything you put before this God, anyone you honor and obey before this Jesus, any state, nation, entity, company, lust, desire, ideal, principle, person or place, any THING you wish to serve first- is your god.  Jesus knows this, he warns us before we leave him at the seashore with the lame excuse that we have to “go and bury our father”, ““No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”” (Luke 9)  It would be better for us to be like Lot’s wife and turned into a pillar of salt than to let us go our own way and forfeit all the blessings and glories and honors He has for us.  At least then a pinch of us would make bland meals better.  Though it’s interesting to note for we who are called to “be fruitful and multiply,” that ground with too high a salinity level, bears no fruit.  As the Dead Sea silently testifies, nothing grows in salt.

But sidetracks in salt flats aside, (say that five times fast!) what if we do embrace Jesus’ homelessness warning?  What if we do leave our hopes of recompense on the shore?  What if we do leave “houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for” (Matt 19) Jesus?  What if we do get on the boat? 

Even then, even in the midst of the Storm, we can be following without knowing whom we follow and what he’s really about…  “33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”” (Mark 8)  Jesus has a different agenda born of a heavenly point of view.  He sees things we do not see.  He knows things we do not know.  He sees the end from the beginning!  He is the Alpha and the Omega!  The beginning and the end!  He is God!  He has started a great work and now he calls the crowd to him along with his followers and says, ““Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”” (Mark 8)

There is no such thing as blind faith.  Jesus doesn’t do the bait and switch.  He tells us up front what’s in store.  Then he asks, do we want to be his disciple?  Even after all this?  Even knowing he is leading us right into the storm, the maelstrom, the cross?  Yes?  (Please, yes!)  Then rejoice!  “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2)  “6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phpp 1)  It’s a walk.  It’s a way.  A path.  A process.  Do you want to someday walk on water?  Do you want the faith to someday climb out of the boat? 

Then first, you must get in.