April 2
Luke 9:57-62
The Cost of Following Jesus
REFLECTION
Commitment
Jesus is saying that total commitment is what is required if we want to enter God’s kingdom. Commitment though is a problem for many people. There are several factors that can cause commitment issues, usually from some childhood trauma. These causes often include fears about the relationship, such as fear of being hurt, fear of things not working out, and other relationship-related anxieties. This can then translate to other areas of our life whether that be work or leisure. We fool ourselves by coming up with all sorts of excuses for why we cannot get involved.
It is easy to speak the words of commitment but much harder to put those words into action. When my youngest daughter was baptised, the curate came to visit me afterwards. He came to invite me to church, and I came up with every excuse I could find. He gently countered each one until I realised, I had just made promises at the Baptism Service and was being hypocritical. I started to attend, found God again and just a few years later was ordained.
Jesus countered each of these peoples’ declarations. The first was to challenge the commitment and explained that it was no easy option to follow him. Life would never be the same again. The assurances you normally depended upon would no longer be there and you may be asked to sacrifice money and career. Relationships may crumble under the strain of your commitment.
Jesus was challenging the authorities about their rule bound, exclusive, judgemental practices which left them and anyone who followed them spiritually dead. God’s kingdom was radical, progressive, and inclusive. What is important is how we are in relationship with God, how we interact with the vulnerable, how committed we are. If we are always looking over our shoulder for ways out, then we cannot be effective in our mission and ministry. All in is what God requires. No half and half measures.
QUESTIONS
- What excuse have you come up with to not commit to a project, a relationship, to follow God?
- Do you know people or churches which are spiritually “dead”?
- What do you understand to be the marks of a spiritual alive person, church or organisation?
