What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Part 1

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.