Jun
16
No Options
Filed Under Devotional
I consider the pastors at my church to be good when I go home challenged and convicted. If they’ve helped to point out an area of my life that I’m neglecting or I’m compromising, then they’ve done good. I’m not a masochist, mind you, but I want to be challenged to become a better servant of Christ. If I go home just feeling warm and fuzzy, I don’t know that I’ve grown at all.
Last week, we had a speaker that hit me hard. He made the great point that the people Jesus healed and accepted without condition were those who were completely desperate for Him and His healing. Those who came to Jesus wanting to follow Him, but with other options, were challenged:
“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’
Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ ” Matthew 8:19-20
Jesus is saying, “Are you really sure you want to follow me? Are you sure you want this life?”
The next man simply wanted to do what society expected of him:
“Another disciple said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’ ” Matthew 18:21-22
As I understand it, this is not a man who simply wanted to attend his father’s funeral. More likely, it was a euphemism for wanting to put in his time with the family business after his father passed away. He’s telling Jesus that he’ll follow Him, but after he does the culturally acceptable thing first. Jesus said, “Follow me now, or don’t follow me.”
And, then of course, there’s the story of the man who wanted to go to Heaven, but didn’t want to let go of what was gripping his heart here on earth:
“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:21-22
When you read about the people that threw themselves at His feet, He healed them immediately. When these people who had other options came to Him, He pushed them away. He wanted the people to have no other options. I think we need to get to where the twelve were when they realized there were no other options. It was Jesus or nothing:
“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ ” John 6:66-68
Jesus doesn’t want to be the One you follow on weekends or between work and dinner. He doesn’t want to be your part-time Lord. He wants you to be at the point of complete desperation for Him. He wants to be your last option.
Have you willingly run out of options and bet everything on Him?