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www.truthworks.com 16 OCT 03 devotion archive send this page to a friend |
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DECIDING TO FOLLOW I tell you the Truth, When I mention the word “disciple,” I immediately think of the twelve – Peter, James, John, etc. However, we should always note that Jesus had hundreds, perhaps thousands of disciples. (Acts 6:1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.) The twelve are separated by their apostle appointments. Apostles are proclaimers of the word and church starters. Disciples, on the other hand, are simply pupils. As students of the Lord, they devoted their lives to learning whatever Jesus taught them. And taught them, He did. When I think about the calling of disciples, I’m always taken back to Jesus walking along the shore and calling out to Peter (Simon) and Andrew to lay down their nets and follow Him.
Mark 1: I’ve always accepted this encounter exactly as it’s written. If we simply “go by the script” we see Jesus call men to follow Him and watch as they throw down everything and simply “follow.” It’s almost a Pied Piper analogy of men mindlessly following someone simply because He commanded them. And this is the picture I’ve always accepted as the truth. And this is the picture one can derive when they simply read the word and not study the word. When we study, we begin to investigate, evaluate and propagate a true conclusion. And the conclusion is this: these men did not follow Jesus mindlessly, without any thought or consideration. The fact is, this was not their first encounter with Jesus, as we read in another Gospel.
John 1: First of all, from this scripture, we notice that these men are more than simply fishermen to begin with. Andrew was already a disciple (of pupil) of John the Baptist. These men were already seeking the Messiah. You couldn’t hang around John the Baptist very long without knowing that the Messiah was near! So when Jesus did come by in the flesh, a couple of John’s disciples began following Him. They were actually following Him in the physical sense, but Christ was beginning to draw them to a greater following. After spending the day with the one John called the “Lamb of God,” Andrew found his brother and announced one of the most amazing things anyone could have ever imagined in his day, “We have found the Messiah.” So, when Jesus would walk by these two brothers on the shore and call out to them to “follow me,” it would not be a mindless act. It would be a well though out decision, one which had probably been laying heavy on their hearts, one which was probably consuming their minds, their conversation and their lives. These two men had already counted the cost, understood (partially, anyway) the consequences of their decision to follow Christ. Following Christ is not a mindless decision. It’s a calculated decision. Jesus would discuss this in detail to His disciples.
Luke 14: “Estimate the cost.” Is your heart’s desire to be a pupil of Christ? Do you earnestly desire to follow Him as a disciple? Well, before you make that commitment, you need to count the cost. The cost is simply your own life. It’s making Christ priority in all things including your family, your job, your schooling and your relationships. Sounds scary doesn’t it? It’s really not when you begin to understand the big picture. You see, when Christ becomes first and foremost in our life, all our other relationships become Christ centered also. And when we enter into other relationships with Christ as the central figure, then and only then can we be Christ-like, or in other terms, Christian. Go ahead and count the cost. Don’t commit unless your serious about it, like the man building the tower in the scripture from Luke. But if you’re ready, you’ve counted the cost and you’ve committed fully, then get ready for the ride of your life. Committing fully to the Lord pleases the Lord and, like the original twelve, the Lord will do mighty things through you. The cost is great, but the rewards are greater! Yet while the cost is great, the loss is so much greater.
Your Servant,
<*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< <*))))))< Copyright © 2003 Truth Works Publishing. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise specified, all scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
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