What does it mean to follow Jesus? Sometimes I get the
impression that Christianity is like the modern phenomenon of Twitter. Jesus is
akin to the celebrities who enjoy the fame, popularity and bragging rights of
having hundreds of thousands of followers. Christians go to church each Sunday
to hear a message or sermon given from the Bible, and might even read a daily
devotional like Twitter users read tweets by their favourite celebrities.
Occasionally Christians will retweet those messages in what people commonly
understand as evangelism. Is this what it means to follow Jesus? Is it none
other than the transmission of His words?
Jesus’ claims and identity deserve and demand more than that!
Christians are familiar with C.S. Lewis’ famous trilemma that Jesus was either
the Lord, a liar or a lunatic. Yet do we fully understand the ramifications of
the Christian’s conviction that Jesus is indeed Lord? What does it mean to be a
disciple of Jesus and to call oneself a follower? James makes it very clear
that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Jesus himself says if anyone
would come after him, let him take up his cross and follow him (Luke 9:23). How
does this work out in the daily life of the Christian disciple?
There is an old saying “everyone has their own cross to
bear”. The saying refers to Jesus’ cross as he made his way to Calvary and is
commonly used as a euphemism for burdens or suffering. Is this how the
Christian is to understand Jesus’ words, to carry our burdens with a form of
stoicism and possibly compassion for others in theirs? The cross is a symbol of
execution and death. Crucifixion was the most dreaded form of execution across
the Roman Empire; its victims would suffer agonising pain as nails would be
hammered through their wrists and feet. Death itself was slow and came by
asphyxiation as the weight of the body pulled the victim down preventing the
diaphragm from working. Placing the cross then into its historical context means
far more than merely carrying burdens. It speaks spiritually (considering
Jesus’ own foreknowledge of his crucifixion in his teaching to his disciples),
of self-denial, selflessness and sacrifice. But the important question is
sacrifice and self-denial of what? Simply put of everything that would come in
the way of following Jesus.
As Jesus was teaching one time a scribe came to him and said:
“Teacher, I will follow you
wherever you go.” 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.”
At the same event:
“Another of the disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And
Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to
bury their own dead.”
Matthew 8:19-22
These are hard teachings by Jesus and provide great
insight into the cost of discipleship. There was a saying in ancient Israel
that disciples were to “cover themselves in the dust of their rabbi”. Many
rabbis, like Jesus, were itinerant teachers travelling from one place to another,
attracting followers who desired to grow and improve themselves by their wisdom
and instruction on the Torah. Roads in ancient Israel were made of dirt not
modern tarmac or concrete and so travellers would churn up much dust on their
journeys. Covering oneself therefore in the dust of a rabbi was a metaphor for
literally following the rabbi wherever he went and remaining close to him at
all times, proving your devotion to his teachings.
Jesus in the passage quoted above teaches a similar
principle. Jesus was not actually implying that the dead could literally bury
themselves or that corpses should be left to rot where they lay. Rather, Jesus
was making a very bold statement that none other than total devotion and
loyalty would suffice to be his disciple. Attachment to home, country and even
family was secondary. This is the challenge facing Christians today. To take up
our cross and follow Jesus then means having to make sacrifices material and
otherwise. It means nonconformity to society’s norms of materialism,
consumerism and individualism. It means denying unhealthy and sinful
temptations that pollute the body and soul such as pornography, gluttony,
greed, violence, drugs, drunkenness and debauchery. To follow Jesus is to be
radically countercultural, not in a negative way but in an extreme way
nonetheless.
Conversely, while sacrifice may have uncomfortable
connotations for many – after all sacrifice is hard and requires discipline,
perseverance and a strong will power – Jesus would not ask his disciples to do
anything that would harm them, ruin
their life or deny them fulfilment in life. Jesus supported marriage, drank wine, healed the sick, embraced children and supported his disciples' in their professional capacities. Neither did Jesus ask his
disciples to do anything he was not prepared to do himself. Jesus always led by
example. It is this example, most clearly demonstrated in the crucifixion
itself, which makes following Jesus so incredibly challenging: because we
cannot accuse Jesus of being hypocritical or question his integrity. Jesus
proved beyond all doubt that he was a man of his word and he lived out his teachings
with utter conviction and integrity. Either we embrace Jesus wholeheartedly and
follow him or not.
Jesus’ teachings on self-denial of the sinful nature
are liberating both for the soul and body as one becomes freed from slavishly
indulging to the harm and detriment of one’s self, family and community. Jesus’
call to follow him wherever he leads brings reward beyond the material comforts
and benefits of a good job and a nice home. It leads to a right relationship
and peace with God, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the joy of salvation,
spiritual wisdom and eternal life.
For the Christian then, the life devoted to
following Jesus - like that of the 12 disciples – must be one of learning,
emulation, and a permeation and manifestation of the truths Jesus taught regarding
charity, philanthropy, marriage, parenthood, egalitarianism, forgiveness, righteousness,
prayer and worship. Every area of life must be surrendered to Jesus and allowed
to become transformed and purified.
Discipleship is a life choice that can only be
realized in a right relationship with God lived out in the power of the Holy
Spirit. Discipleship should always focus on the person and teaching of Jesus
Christ. Discipleship should result in very real and tangible outward
manifestations of internal spiritual realities. Discipleship produces humility,
meekness, wisdom and should permeate all relationships personal and
professional.
