Wishing to Follow

January 23 2011And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:34-38 (NASB)It is hard to loosen your grip on life, to surrender your dreams, to submit your ambition, to break with your culture, to change your values, to have things you have deeply invested in loose their meaning. But that’s what Jesus is after. Why did have to be so blunt, so clear cut, so radical? Why couldn’t he be a little more ambiguous? Why did he have to use words like “must,” “will lose,” “will save,” and “when?”Most people are not opposed to religion as long as it strengthens their grip on life, helps them achieve their dreams, validates their ambition, sanctifies their culture, upholds their values, and doesn’t challenge their investments. Or put differently, emphasizes self-fulfillment instead of denial, preaches self-improvement instead of surrender to God’s will (cross), and allows for participation according to their liking and schedule, rather than total, daily following. But have you ever considered that the world was a religious smorgasbord when Jesus came, and if there is one thing Jesus is not, it is more of the same. He is different from all because he is the incarnate Son of God, eternally one with the Father and Holy Spirit.Notice, Jesus did not advocate a life void of dreams, ambition, cultural relevance, values, and investing ourselves and resources. In fact he asked all who would listen, including you and me, to center all of ourselves on him and what he preached and taught, to become kingdom of God dreamers who completely, and radically trust him with our lives, our ambitions, our values, and all we have to invest. The question then becomes, “Am I?” and even more than that “What if?” Yes, what if you and I give ourselves fully to the redemptive agenda of God? What if we learn to love without fear, even the fear of losing our lives? What if we commit ourselves to the values of God’s kingdom? What if we dream of our lives having eternal significance? What if we invest the most where our world is most broken and dark? What if we completely lose ourselves in the cause of Christ? What if we do that? What would it be like?I don’t like for the gas gauge on my car to be near empty, I like it to be full. I don’t like to pull out my wallet and find it empty, I like for some green to be found there, and I don’t like to read my bank statement and find out that my account is almost on empty, I sleep better when it isn’t teetering on the brink. The crowd Jesus spoke with in the text above were probably much like me, and you, working hard to fill up, stock up, and save all they could to be able to live a better life, their life. He invited them, “anyone who wishes,” anyone who wishes for something better than that endless pursuit, anyone who yearns for a more just and better world, anyone who understands that he or she and our world needs redemption we cannot create ourselves, anyone who wants his or her life to count here on earth and before God, to follow him.To god be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans