For just a short period of time, Jesus was a rock star. The Bible tells us through many stories in the Bible that there were times where Jesus would come to a town and it would be so crowded that the people would press in on him. There was the time that the friends had to lower the crippled man through the roof to get him to Jesus and then there was that other time where the woman that had the issue of blood had to fight her way through the crowd to simply touch Jesus’ garment. Rock Star!
Jesus the Rock Star! Well, at least he was for a short period of time! It was easy to follow Jesus when his message was one of ‘Come and See‘ where he went around turning water into wine, healing the sick and lame, casting out demons and acting like David Copperfield on steroids. Everyone wanted to know Jesus and to be his friend. Everyone wanted to follow him and receive the blessings that he was freely giving. But then Jesus got all crazy and ridiculous. For instance, he started talking strange and teaching encrypted messages. He admitted that he knew people wouldn’t even understand them. He should have just called his audience dummies! As Pastor Rick Warren has pointed out, his message went from ‘Come and See’ to ‘Come and Die’ with crazy messages like:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
See, crazy and ridiculous stuff! Jesus didn’t say if you want to be saved, rather he said if you want to be my follower abandon your selfishness, die to yourself and follow me. I guess that’s the line that Jesus drew in the sand for those who ‘said’ they wanted to be a part of his group. It was a line that many were unwilling to cross and it was a commitment too great for many to make.
This is why the rich man walked away from Jesus sad. He was unwilling to sell all of his possessions and give all of the money to the poor and then leave the life he knew to follow Jesus into the unknown…or into the knowledge of the life following a transient Rabi who didn’t even own a home and often stayed with friends for rest, who had plenty of haters. This is why many of Jesus’ groupies who once saw him as a rock star walked away from Jesus sad. They saw he was about others, not about himself. They saw it wasn’t all about a show, rather it was about a totally new lifestyle that was focused on others and less on self.
This line wasn’t drawn in the sand for just the disciples of that day, it is a line drawn in the sand for all those who ‘say’ they desire to follow Jesus. Being saved and following Jesus are two totally different things and our American culture is quickly slipping into a comfort zone that is more willing to settle for the comfort of a salvation knowledge than they are a lifestyle of following Jesus.
Why? Mostly because people hate, absolutely HATE, abandoning their selfishness (concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure). We can’t be selfish and follow Jesus; he is the definition and reflection of perfect selflessness. We can’t be selfish (focused on self) and take up our cross and die to ourselves. Jesus didn’t walk the earth demanding to have things HIS way, no he did things His Father’s way. He didn’t walk the earth demanding comfort and convenience, no he was often inconvenienced.
If our local churches are unhealthy, I believe it’s for this reason. We have a lot of people who want to be saved, but we have very little who want to follow Jesus. People will come in droves when the message is one of ‘Come and See‘ and they depart quickly as it transitions to ‘Come and Die.’ The church is loved when it’s ‘Come and Watch’ or ‘Come and Experience’ the awesome show, but they disappear when it’s ‘Come and Serve’ or ‘Come and Make it Happen’. People love when the church is there to give and to serve, but when called to give and serve and die, well that’s just crazy and ridiculous. Teach me all that makes me feel good and like a winner and I’m there, but point out my sin and tell me I’m wrong and I’ll be gone. Jesus is a Rock Star, even in our culture and our generation, at least for a little while; but hang around long enough and you’ll discover that there’s a crowd who is unwilling to cross certain lines. It’s too far…too deep…and requires too much. It’s not convenient, it’s not comfortable and it’s not cheap, so count them out. Where do you stand? Are you willing to cross the lines Jesus calls you to, or are some lines just too far?
Join the Conversation….Why do you think so many are unwilling to cross the line Jesus drew in the sand to be his followers? What’s been the most difficult thing to abandon in your own walk?
