Following Jesus
Luke 5.10-11 “Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be ‘catching’ people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed Him.”
This is the response for all disciples…”leave everything and follow Him.” But do we? Sadly, too many have been duped into believing that if they/we say a little prayer, that’s the end of it in us being disciples. And if we get some water on us, then that is way over the top! But, as Stanley Hauerwas said in his little book, Jesus Changes Everything, “We are not Christ-followers because of what we believe, but because we obey the call of Jesus: “Come, follow Me.”
James Clarendon tells a story about Clarence Jordan, the founder of Koinonia Farm, an interracial Christian community in Georgia. It boldly illustrates the difference between being a disciple and an admirer of Jesus.
Clarence Jordan had a brother, Robert, who would later become a state senator and a justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. One day Clarence asked Robert to represent Koinonia Farm in a legal dispute. Robert responded,
“Clarence, I can’t do that. You know my political aspirations. If I represented you, I might lose my job, my house, everything I’ve worked so hard to attain.”
Clarence responded, “We might lose everything too, Bob.”
“It’s different for you,” said Bob.
Clarence said, “Why is it different? I remember that you and I joined the church the same Sunday, as boys. I expect when we came forward the preacher asked me about the same question he did you. He asked me, “Are you ready to follow Jesus as your Lord and Savior?’ And I said, ‘Yes.” What did you say?”
Robert said, “I follow Jesus up to a point.”
“Could that point by any chance be – the cross?” asked Clarence.
“That’s right,” said Robert. “I follow Him to the cross, but not ON the cross. I’m not getting myself crucified.”
Clarence said, “Then I don’t believe you are disciple. You’re an admirer of Jesus, but not a disciple of His. I think you ought to go back to the church you belong to, and tell them you’re an admirer, not a disciple.”
Robert stammered, “Well now, if everyone who felt like I do did that, we wouldn’t HAVE a church, now would we?”
“The question is,” Clarence said, “Do you have a church?”
We are a church that is driven by the mandate, “As you are going make disciples…” Let’s always be about THAT: making disciples that make disciples. But we must examine our hearts to be certain that WE are disciples—who leave everything to follow Jesus! Let it be so!