Disciples

Matthew 10 - 12

I LOVE reading these chapters. It's like getting a front row seat to learn what it really means to be a disciple of Christ. He leads by example and shows and tells them what to do and how to follow Him.

In chapter 10, I feel like Jesus is mostly warning His disciples. He is telling them that they WILL encounter persecution, they WILL encounter suffering and division. I listened to a couple messages recently about suffering and both pastors were saying that if you don't encounter persecution in your life, then something may be wrong. That doesn't mean that we have to invite it in and seek after suffering, but that is something Jesus says will accompany a walk with Him. BUT, he also promises this:

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"

I want to find my life....and Jesus says that the only way to do that is to lose my life for his sake, so that is what I will do.

In chapter 12, what really struck me was the Pharisees reaction to Jesus. He's walking around teaching and performing miracles, and they question him. They try to pick out things that he is doing wrong, things that are "unlawful". Jesus disagrees with what they say and he heals a man on the Sabbath. In response, the Pharisees went out and plot how to kill him.

As I read this, I was trying to figure out why they rejected him and why they were so shaken by him. Then, I thought about myself and why some of the things Jesus says and does shake me and make me so uncomfortable. For me, I think it's because I don't want to give up control. I have my own idea of what life should be like, how people should act, and what Jesus should be. We all do because we're human. But, I don't want to be like the Pharisees...I don't want to reject the things of Jesus because it offends me or makes me uncomfortable. Instead, I want to offer those parts of my heart and mind to Him and allow Him to break them down and renew them. I know that thinking and loving like Jesus is going to look and be different than what we see most of the time all around us.

Following Jesus is a risk. We are guaranteed to be persecuted and we have to die to ourselves. That doesn't sound all that great. So is this risk worth taking?? It seems like a gamble until you actually step out in faith and see that Jesus backs up everything He says. He DOES give abundant life, He DOES meet all our needs, He is who He says He is.

I would rather take the risk and gain life.