Seeking Jerusalem – Day 8 “The Light Cost of Discipleship”

21 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. The Transfiguration, Seeking Jerusalem

Tags

Cost of discipleship, cross, crucifixion, Death, Death of Sin, Discipleship, Lent, Lenten Season, Ministry of Reconciliation

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9: 57-62 NIV).

The “Light” Cost of Discipleship

There are two further passages in the gospels which deal with the cost of discipleship, both of them found in the Gospel of Luke. The first one (above) is considered the “light” sayings of Jesus on the cost of discipleship and the second one (which we will deal with tomorrow) is considered the “heavy” one. Both are instructive and well worth taking a closer look at. After all, Jesus said at one point, you need to know what you’re getting into (Luke 14:28-32).

I’m not sure that the disciples knew what they were getting into when Jesus first called them to come and follow him. At first it was pleasant walks along the road, listening to his teaching, watching him rile up the Pharisees and get the Scribes all hot and bothered. Good fun for a bunch of fisherman and bar fighters (James and John had the nickname “the sons of thunder.” I’ll be there’s a story behind that name). Later, there would be more intense times of ministry, miracles and mysteries. Never a dull moment. And then they get involved in the ministry themselves and Jesus gives them authority over demons and the ability to heal sicknesses when he sends out the 72 to the towns and villages of Israel to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God in power.

But then, at the pinnacle of his popularity, comes the revolt. They come to make him King and he refuses. They try to convince him over and over again, but he just tells them that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood if they want anything to do with him. Most of the disciples and the crowds desert him and even his closest disciples were asked if they would desert him as well. Peter gives his confession of faith. Jesus announces that he would go to Jerusalem and suffer and be killed. Peter rebukes him and Jesus rebukes him right back and calls him “Satanic” in his mindset. Things are not going well and the disciples are faced with a decision. Will they follow Jesus to Jerusalem and face the very real possibility of sharing his fate? Or will they also fall away?

The “light” sayings of Jesus about the cost of discipleship seem to apply more to the first half of the ministry and the “heavy” sayings to the second half of Jesus’ ministry. Let’s take a look at the “light” sayings. I’m not personally convinced that they are so “light” after all.

In the first one, a man approaches Jesus to swear his loyalty and express his desire to follow Jesus. Many people were in this position. They were not specifically chosen by Jesus but rather took the initiative themselves to follow him. No problem. Jesus merely remarks that his situation is precarious. Even foxes and birds have a place to call home, but the Son of Man “has no place to lay his head.” They were itinerant preachers traveling all over the countryside. They did not know from one day to the next where they would sleep, whether or not they would have a meal, or when they would be able to wash up and relax a bit. The work of ministry was hard. Jesus was often tired and the disciples a bit cranky, the crowds were often demanding with their needs and desire to be healed and often wanted to press in and be a part of every teaching and miracle that Jesus performed.

That’s the way ministry is. I remember one old pastor telling me that people should not pray so fervently for revival unless they were ready to do the work. And it was a lot of work. To follow Jesus means a lot of long nights and even longer days. It means tired eyes and even more tired minds. And just when you need to sleep, the phone rings and someone else is in need of your ministry. To follow Jesus is more than merely believing that he is the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. It is to join him on the way of the cross, in the ministry of the gospel (which is the application of the power of the cross to the lives and relationships of the people through the ministry of reconciliation).

In the second case, Jesus actually said to someone, “Follow me.” He chose this man specifically and wanted him to be part of his band of followers. How I would love to be invited by Jesus to come and follow him. To be wanted. To be chosen. To be invited into the greatest adventure the world has ever seen. To have my hunger and thirst for the things of God filled at the side of Jesus. What glory that would be. I would give up anything to be part of that band of disciples.

And yet, this man has other priorities. He is willing but he needs to get his life in order. He has things he needs to take care of – important things. Who can deny him (especially under Jewish laws and customs) his right to bury his father? His father, for Pete’s sake. How can Jesus be so rude, so difficult, so lacking in basic human kindness? “Let the dead bury their own dead,” Jesus tells this poor man. How rude is that? Or is it?

Some people see Jesus as saying that those who do not follow him are dead in their sins and therefore they can take care of these mundane chores while we have something more important to do in proclaiming the kingdom of God. Well, there is some truth to the last part but I think the first part is stretching it a bit. It was a strong thing to say to the man but Jesus meant it to be strong. Get your priorities straight, he was saying. The work of ministry, the proclamation of the gospel, is not a weekend hobby, a part-time effort, a second career choice. It is the stuff of life itself. It has eternal consequences for the disciple and for those who hear his proclamation. Here the parables of Jesus come in – about the woman who lost her coin and cleaned the whole house in order to find it, the shepherd who lost one sheep and left all the rest to find it, the man who sold everything for the pearl of great price.

Similarly, another would-be disciple comes to Jesus and tells him that he will follow Jesus but only after saying goodbye to his family. Jesus declares him unfit “for service in the kingdom of God.” His heart is still at home with his family. What’s wrong with that? Doesn’t Jesus believe in families? Doesn’t Jesus believe in keeping the man engaged at home? Isn’t a good family life a witness to the kingdom of God? Yes and no but more no than yes if you accept Jesus’ words here. It’s a question of asking what your first love is. We are so quick to try and make Jesus fit into our lives when he is really calling us to radical service in the kingdom of God.

Look at these words and tell me what you think. Is this a confession that you can make in your heart? What do you hunger and thirst after? What is it that you want more than anything else in this world?

The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Getting rid of all my small ambitions
to make this one thing the hallmark of my life.
To please God.
Whether I get what I pray for or not,
whether my circumstances change or not,
whether I am healed or not.
To consider every sacrifice a small price to pay
to obtain the pearl of great price.
His pleasure.

Discipleship is rooted in a fervent desire to please God by following him in fulfilling the purpose of the cross by sharing the gospel. It’s about getting rid of our small ambitions and replace it with the greatest ambition that we could possibly have. To please God with the quality and passion of our discipleship and ministry.

We cannot merely believe in God, we must follow him too. But when we follow him, the quality of our discipleship matters to him. Is it half-hearted? Is it desired more than the mundane activities of life? Would you rather go to the movies, go fishing with your buddies, spend time with your family then be involved in ministry? Would you rather watch TV, or Netflix, or your favorite sports show, rather than spending time in prayer with the other saints at church? And there is no point in feeling guilty about what you should or should not want to do. It isn’t a question of feeling guilty. It’s a question of discovering what you truly want. If you truly don’t want to do ministry, don’t know how to do ministry, don’t want to learn how to do ministry, then, perhaps it is time to rethink your relationship with God. Something is wrong.

Where are the strong passions that drive people to take hold of the kingdom of God? Where are the leaders who sacrifice everything to get the message out to as many people as possible? Why are there so many boring committee meetings. Meaningless board meetings. Endless prayer meetings that don’t seem to accomplish anything. This is not the stuff of discipleship. This is about maintaining the infrastructure of the church whether or not it is effective in the transforming work of the cross. When did church work become discipleship?

Where are the exciting baptisms. The transforming worship services. Where are the growing small groups filled with new believers who have penetrating questions and are awestruck by the power of God’s answers in Christ. This is the stuff of discipleship.

When a retired choir member (who is a widower) is living with a woman whom he is not married to and no one says anything because they don’t want to offend him, that isn’t ministry. When a young girl has a baby out of wedlock but professes to love the Lord and no one says a thing because, well, frankly, it’s embarrassing, that isn’t ministry. When an old man who has gone to the same church for 50 years and still thinks that Jesus is only a good example of morality and nothing more, and no one has the guts to have a spiritual conversation with him for fear of the political fallout since he is a pillar of the community, that is not ministry. That is religion, having the form but denying the power of the cross.

But if the widower confesses his sin publicly (since his sin was also public) and repents in tears, if the young girl acknowledges the error of her ways and asks the congregation to accompany her in bringing up this child in the fear and knowledge of the Lord, if this pillar of the church gives his heart to the Lord even in his old age and accepts the gift of salvation, now ministry is happening. It is exciting. It is powerful. The kingdom of God is making a difference in the heart of real people.

The difference between religion and spirit-filled ministry is the quality of your discipleship as someone who makes up that body of believers.

So ask yourself the question this Lenten season. Are you looking for excuses NOT to do ministry or reasons to be involved in the transforming work of God in Christ? Do you see discipleship as ministry, the ministry of reconciliation? Do you have other priorities, even legitimate ones, that keep you from participating in the work of the gospel? Where is your heart? At home with your family (which is a good thing) or in ministry with Jesus (which is much better)? Most people do not believe that discipleship is ministry at all. They consider themselves to be disciples since they believe in Jesus and they help out in church. That should be good enough. It’s not.

Unless you are living in the way of the cross and participating in the ministry of reconciliation, you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ. End of story. And that’s the “light” stuff.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. Talk to him now and tell him what you truly want…

Lord, I want to follow you. I want to be involved in life-transforming ministry with you in the power of the Holy Spirit. I’m not sure that my church is doing that kind of ministry of reconciliation. What do I do? Where do I go? How do I find your band of disciples who are taking this seriously? I need your help, O Lord, to find the path on the way of the cross and to find a band of brothers and sisters who will join me in this quest. Do I need to go to Bible School? Or search out answers online? I don’t know, Lord, but I am taking the first steps to find the answers. And I believe that you will lead me where I need to go. Thank you. In your name I pray. Amen.

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Seeking Jerusalem – Day 2 “The Confession”

15 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. The Transfiguration, Seeking Jerusalem

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Confession, confession of faith, Cost of discipleship, Death, Discipleship, jerusalem, Pain, Suffering

The Way of the Cross – Lenten Season 2018

(Jesus) asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:13b-17 NIV).

The Confession

Just before Jesus predicts his suffering and death in Jerusalem, we have this wonderful moment when Peter gives his famous confession about who Jesus is. You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Heady stuff. Especially in the context of what was going on at that point in Jesus’ ministry.

Not many people realize that after feeding the 5000, there was a group of people who intended to come and force Jesus to become king (John 6:15). Jesus slips away by himself and then, that night he walks on water to catch up with his disciples during the storm. On the other side of the lake a lot of these same people found him again.

Jesus rebukes them harshly. Remember that these are not the Pharisees or the Chief Priests but rather the common man, many of them his disciples, his followers, the crowds who loved him. They, no doubt, thought that Jesus wanted to be king. That was the whole point, wasn’t it? The prophecies spoke of a Messiah who was a warrior king and would defeat the enemies of God. The people of Israel had been waiting forever for the Messiah to show up and now Jesus was here. He was the Messiah, and therefore should be king. He could use his power to throw out the Romans once and for all.

Perhaps their intentions were good, perhaps a bit self-serving but in any case it was not what Jesus planned to do. The people had conveniently forgotten that there was another set of prophecies about the Messiah that saw him as a suffering servant and a lamb to be slaughtered (Isaiah 53). What good was that in throwing out the Romans? It was a prophecy easily overlooked in their zeal for freedom from slavery and oppression. And that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

Now they were insisting that Jesus become their King and they had followed him to the other side of the lake to press their claim. But Jesus was having none of it. They had connected the dots between the feeding of the 5000 and the manna in the desert that Moses had brought down from heaven. Maybe they expected to see miracles from Jesus on the magnitude of the ten plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the fire on the mountain of Sinai, the daily provision of food and water in the desert for over a million people for 40 years. Heady times indeed. The heavens would part and, with hosts of angels at his command, he would fight and destroy the Roman armies and Israel would once again, as in the time of David and Solomon, take her rightful place as head of the nations, the chosen people of God.

But Jesus had other ideas. They were impressed with bread so he talked about the bread of life. They seemed to like the idea. “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:34,35).

Jesus knew that they were just trying to be polite and looking for a way to convince him still to become king. So he puts it back in their faces and tells them plainly that they do not believe in him. And it was true. The grumbling starts again because he had said that he was the “living bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41 NIV). This wasn’t the idea of the Messiah that they were working with. The Messiah was supposed to be a new Moses, another like Elijah, someone who could do signs and wonders and could be counted on to lead them in the fight against the Romans.

But Jesus isn’t done. He goes even further. “This bread is my flesh,” he said, “which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6: 49-51 NIV). Everything went downhill from there. You can imagine.

Apparently this conversation is happening over multiple days and in multiple locations. The arguing and grumbling is probably happening while they are walking and moving from place to place doing ministry. Then it would, no doubt, boil over into another confrontation and Jesus would just make it worse by being even more blunt.

Can you blame them for being upset that Jesus is suggesting that they had to eat his flesh and drink his blood? What’s that all about? It makes no sense unless you, first of all, acknowledge who he truly is. Unless you sit back, shut up and allow Jesus to explain himself, to set his own agenda, to lead.

Finally in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus lays it on the line. “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:53,54 NIV). Oh, for Pete’s sake. What kind of Messiah is this? Does he believe in human sacrifice? What kind of leader talks like that?

If they had understood that he was the kind of Messiah that Isaiah 53 talked about, a lamb led to the slaughter, a Passover sacrifice, thereby becoming spiritual food and drink, creating a relationship, a “oneness” with him, a total identification with his sacrifice, with the cross, with the true purpose for which he came into the world, perhaps then they would have believed and followed.

But, even that isn´t good enough for Jesus. He wouldn’t have let them off the hook. It isn’t about understanding everything. He was in the middle of doing it, showing it with his own actions, his own sacrifice. They would only understand by faith and by following. If you believe in him and answer his call to “come and follow,” it will all become clear on the journey. It isn’t about getting all of your theology straight beforehand. If you only follow when you understand, you are still in charge. It’s still your agenda. Follow because of who he is, not because of how much you have figured out. Some of what he says may sound crazy at first. Follow anyway.

John tells us that “on hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?…..The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6: 60-63 NIV).

It isn’t about eating physical flesh, Jesus was saying. Giving his closest disciples some extra grace by making things clearer. The flesh means nothing. It’s about spirit and life. It’s about relationship. Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, will give up their small ambitions (boats, careers, family) and follow Him and accept His teaching and believe that it is true whether they understand it all at the moment or not. Because they know him and they trust him.

But those who do not believe in him (who he is), will find fault with him no matter what he says and does. They have their own agenda (even Judas did apparently) and will not follow the lead of the one who has been “sent from heaven”. That is why the confession of Peter is the foundation of the church. That is why it is so important to find out for yourself who Jesus is. Even when everyone else thinks believing in God is stupid and following Jesus is nuts. You must decide on that one, key thing. Who do you say that I am?

John reports that “from this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66 NIV). You can almost see the twelve huddled around a campfire, dejected and confused, wondering for themselves why they were there and what was going to happen next. Of course this was the perfect moment for Jesus to ask them the essential question.

After Peter blurts out his confession, Jesus sets out his agenda and defines his Messiahship. He would be a suffering servant, not a warrior king who would defeat the Romans in open battle. He would be a lamb led to the slaughter and, in that way, fight the true enemies of God – “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV). That’s where the fight is.

So he tells them that he must go to Jerusalem and must suffer and be rejected, even killed and then rise after three days. This is his plan. Will you follow him? Can you hear his voice beckoning you to join him in this cause?

And don’t think for a moment that the disciples are not fully aware of other so-called Messiahs who have made a bid for the throne and have been found wanting (Acts 5: 35-39 NIV). Not only did the Romans kill the leaders, but they routinely crucified the followers as well, a warning to other would-be rebels against the power of almighty Rome.

Don’t think for a moment that the disciples didn’t understand what Jesus was saying, what he was asking, what was likely to happen. Jerusalem was a powder keg ready to blow and they weren’t sure what would happen. Maybe they still believed that Jesus would defeat the Romans somehow, in his own way. It was still dangerous. Seeking Jerusalem is always dangerous. Jesus was asking for a confrontation, a showdown, a final battle. Whatever their justification, whatever they were thinking, (and they were still confused about Jesus’ agenda even up to the time of the ascension c.f. Acts 1:6 NIV), they decide to follow him anyway. Just because of who he is.

It starts with a confession and the confession takes faith and faith is a gift from God. If you don’t have it, ask for it. Tell him you want to believe. He is more than happy to work with you, to get you to that place of confession, the first step in the journey of faith.

This Lenten season, he calls us once again to leave father and mother, brother and sister and follow him, whatever the cost, whatever the outcome. It starts with a confession, then comes the invitation to follow, finally the journey into darkness begins – following and carrying the light of the world.

The Desert Warrior

P.S. If you haven’t yet made a confession of faith in him, now is as good a time as any. Talk to him right now…

“Lord, I confess that you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. I don’t care what the world says, or my family, or my friends. I believe it. I know in my heart that it is true. I’m scared of following you because you tend to ask a lot of your followers, everything in fact, and I’m not sure I can do that. I want to follow you but I need your help and the encouragement of your true disciples. Send me some people who can help me on the journey. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

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