What does it mean to follow Jesus?

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16)
These men had faithfully been following Jesus for months: listening to Him, watching Him, even preaching and performing miracles in His name. They had experienced being booed with Him, evicted with Him, and threatened as His accomplices.  As they finally have stated that He is the Christ (verse 16), they have a picture in their minds of what it means to be His followers, so Jesus now clarifies that for them.  It is not all glory and popularity; it is more suffering and sacrificing. It is not in this life or by its standards, but in God's kingdom and by His standards.  It is also not the same thing every day. As Jesus says elsewhere, this "taking up the cross" is a daily thing, a surrending of our day to Jesus, to do with our time, our thoughts, words and actions what He wants done. May we follow Him today. 

Just When You Think You Have It All FIgured Out...

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16)
Peter had just made the most profound statement thus far in the Gospel record: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  The next thing we know, Peter assumes the role of Jesus' promoter and personal advisor, telling Him how to carry out His calling as Messiah. He presumes to know everything He should do, and how He should do it.  In our walk with the LORD, we often begin to think we know so much that we have exhausted the mind and will of God to the point that we can call the shots and know the next step we should take without asking. Not a wise move.  It is humility before God that brings us to repentance and faith, by the grace of God, and it is that same posture that keeps us on the path God has for us. Will we continue to grow in faith and understand more about the character, plan and will of God? Yes.  Will we ever have it all figured out? By no means. May we find in Him our directions for today, one step at a time, holding His hand. 

WHO do YOU say???

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16)
Jesus was doing much more than taking an opinion or popularity poll.  He had been investing in this group of disciples. He wanted them to think and speak for themselves to His face about what they really thought and believed.  They had become that close that they should be totally forthright with one another.  In the course of your life, with work, family, and daily relationships, there will be those who come to know you.  Do they know WHO YOU SAY Jesus is?  When we know Christ as He really is: the Savior, as our Savior, then we know Him well enough to tell others Who He is.  As Jesus said, it is reality revealed to us.  Nothing will challenge our internal faith than to hear ourselves said it out loud to others whose opinions we value.  At that point Jesus had told His disciples NOT to tell others Who He was, but at the end of this gospel He told them otherwise. Now is the time to tell.  

Letting It Sink In

5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16)
We so easily get fixated on the physical that spiritual truth goes over our head, rolls off our back, and never soaks into our souls.  The disciples were like that. When Jesus talked to His disciples about the leaven of the Pharisess - the attitudes they had toward holiness and their relationship with God - the twelve automatically began to think about literal bread, and their failure to bring it along.  Jesus' response was two-fold: first, stop worrying about the physical; God will provide the bread you need.  Secondly, start thinking about the spiritual.  The fact is that we all have the tendency of the Pharisees to begin to think of ourselves as more spiritual than others. Even our criticism of others who are acting in a self-righteous way opens us up to our own self-righteousness.  We need to beware our bent towards defending ourselves and criticizing others. Only He can and will occupy the seat of Judge.   

Seeking Signs... and ignoring them

 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”So he left them and departed. (Matthew 16)
The Pharisees were not alone in seeking signs. Many came to see "what Jesus could do."  We are not that much different. We want God to show us what He can do in our lives, and then allow that to determine "how much" faith we will have, and how much we will listen to Him.  Jesus knows our tendencies.  Like Jonah, we need the water to splash in our face and wake us up, and yet we still often go yelling and kicking into His will, resisting what is clearly best for us, and His glory.  Seeking God's will? I hope so.  Asking for a sign? Do you really think you'll pay attention when it comes?  May we enter this day submitting to His will, His way.  And when He splashes us in the face, may we say: "Thanks, Lord, I needed that." 

Caring about the Crowd

32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. (Matthew 15)
Jesus always seemed to have perfect vision. When He was passing through a crowd He could pick out an individual needing healing, an encouraging word, or a special touch.  But He could also see the whole crowd, comprehending the vastness of need. Whether it was looking down on a crowd to whom He was speaking, or down the Mount of Olives on the city of Jerusalem, He had a heart big enough for the mass, the whole crowd.  As God the Son, His heart is big enough to do that. Ours are not. We often live life going from one tragic news story to another. Sometimes it involves an individual or family, while others it may involve a community stricken by a natural disaster or shooting spree, but our hearts are never as big as His.  We need His heart of compassion, His ability to always see and care for the crowd, and His perceptiveness to pick out the one He has placed before us to do something about ourselves. May we have the heart and eyes of Jesus today to see, to care, to act. 

Nonverbal Communication

29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
(Matthew 15)
When people heard the wisdom of Jesus' words, they were amazed at the truth and the authority with which He spoke.  Sometimes He gave messages without words.  He healed; people witnessed it; they glorified God.  God has always spoken well without words in His creation and his providence.  For those who were healed, this communication was very personal.  But Jesus always joined His nonverbal and verbal communication into one voice. So should we. Though we speak the truth, we often demonstrate something else with our actions. May they both sing in harmony today.  

HE Can and Doesn't Have to...

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
(Matthew 15)
In contrast to the times Jesus encountered very religious Jews who demonstrated "little faith" is this woman from the more Gentile costal area whom He commends for "great faith."  Joined with her faith was her humility - her lack of an "entitled mentality", which she displayed with her persistence. She knew that Jesus could, but did not have to. She believed He had the power and authority to deliver and heal, but also that He did not have to - that God is not our vending machine to give us whatever we want upon our demand. Her understanding of the character and ability of God enabled her plead with Him for mercy, which He was more than willing and waiting to show.  The "little faith" we often demonstrate is characterized more by wondering if God can, and why He does not live up to our expectations.  What do you expect from God today? 

How do our words taste?

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”  (Matthew 15)
The Pharisees were offended. That wasn't anything new.  The disciples were confused. That wasn't anything new either. So, as Jesus intended, they asked Him about it.  They needed to know how His statement about one's mouth had to do with the Pharisees offense over His disciples' lack of washing their hands. His response is classic. What goes into our mouth doesn't reveal as much about us as what comes out of it.  For these Jewish people: the Pharisses, disciples, and the crowd, what they ate, how they ate with, with whom they ate it had great significance; it made a statement about who they were in relationship to God.  But what makes a bolder statement is how we live, which is reflected by what we say, which gives a glimpse of what is within our hearts. They show where the changes really need to take place in our lives. Taste your words today. Does what you say match up with who you are?  What do they show about your real reverence for God and respect for others?

Looking for the Loopholes...

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

(Matthew 15)

Hand washing.  It is sacred to the elementary school teacher when the flu is running rampant to his/her classroom.  Yet, as each of us look at our lives, we find dozens of other ways we compromise our health and that of others: sleepless schedules, not bundling up, going to restaurants, and even careless hygiene on our own parts.  More than that - it is so easy for us to criticize others and fail to find the faults that makes our lives crazy. We look for loopholes to excuse our own inconsistencies.  We come up with our own rules and expect everyone else to conform to them. I once heard a professing Christian proclaim she was a "rules girl" as if it was a good thing.  As believers we will want to obey God's law, but whenever we begin to expect everyone else to live up to the rules (God's or whoever), but not ourselves, we are just looking for loopholes.  And some day we will find ourselves getting caught in them, and trip ourselves up. 

Men Stepping Up in Faith...

34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. (Matthew 14)
Jesus' reputation is growing. Amoung His closest followers like Peter, there is this growing awareness that He is the Son of God.  In terms of the General public, He is the One who feeds multitudes and heals deseases. In our time, many in the general public has come to see believing in Jesus as a "woman's thing" - something for the weak.  But here the men step up and step in - men who realize that pursuing spiritual health and life is like hunting for deer or bear. These men take charge, making sure those who need help get to Jesus. They are strong enough to take leadership, but humble enough to realize Who Jesus really is, and recognize His power, authority, and loving compassion all at the same time. They look to Jesus as Someone they want to be like. Do you men recognize that? Do you see your place in stepping up and stepping in to bring your wife, family, and everyone who has need, to Jesus, to trust and follow Him? 

Feeble Faith...

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14)

This is truly one of my favorite accounts in the Gospels. It was one of the first passages I ever preached on.  It pictures us so well. We step out in faith, begin to feel self-confident, then look around and become overwhelmed and start to sink, only to have Jesus reach out and grab us.  Peter did not grab Jesus; Jesus grabbed Peter.  Feeble faith is better than no faith.  Faith is meant to grow and stretch.  Even feeble faith, when exercised, leads us to worship the One worthy of our faith.  This doesn't even begin to explore the depths of this passage, but when our faith feels feeble, the surface of the water is enough. Take those steps of trust today. He WILL be there.