Saturday, October 4, 2008

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Radical Obedience Radical Commitment

Jesus calls us to a higher level of obedience  and commitment than anyone else ever will.  We will never call ourselves to that level of obedience because it would likely be uncomfortable or inconvenient.  Your church will probably not call people to a high level of obedience or commitment because they really don't want to offend anyone — and the state of the contemporary church particularly with respect to allowing sin is the result — we would rather have quantity than quality!  They want you to be committed to their particular church, but radical commitment to Jesus seems somewhat out of fashion these days!

Jesus says things like "whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:27-28).  He says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9:23-24).  And, even when people came and said they wanted to follow him, he challenged them with what it may cost to really follow him (see Matthew 8:18-22 or Luke 18:18-30).  Many it seems were actually turned away from Jesus by his preaching!  The cost of discipleship is not something that is very popular in today's preaching.  We are far away from that man who found a treasure hidden in a field and "then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field" (Matthew 13:44), or another man who was looking for fine pearls and found one of great value, who "went away and sold everything he had and bought it" (Matthew 13:45). 

True Christianity will cost you everything you have!  It will all belong to him for him to do with whatever he wants.  You and I will be his for him to send anywhere or walk through anything he chooses.  Are we up for that kind of obedience?  Are we willing to pay that price? A missionary who was martyred by the Auca Indians in Ecuador in 1956 said,

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose." — Jim Elliot
 

Do we have that level of obedience and commitment?  Do we believe that Jesus really means what he says and what he calls us to?

"What do you think?  There was a man who had two sons.  He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'  'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.  Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.  He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did what his father wanted?  'The first,' they answered" (Matthew 21:28-31).

Jesus told this parable to test those who were questioning him regarding his authority.  Which son did what his father wanted?  The right answer is neither, and the church today as it was in Jesus' day, is filled with both.  There are many who say that they will not but who later do what is necessary out of a sense of guilt or obligation or whatever.  I guess that is a little better than not doing it at all, and that is certainly what the religious leaders picked up on.  There are also many today who profess obedience but do nothing.  We say that we will, we will, but we never quite get around to it.

What kind of people is Jesus looking for?  People who have a radical obedience and a radical commitment.  People who will decide to obey even before they know what is being asked.  People who will say yes and follow it through no matter what it may mean.  That is the Jesus way.  That is the way of righteousness that Jesus talks about (Matthew 21:32).  It comes only as we repent — turn from our own ways — and believe him — embrace his way.  Though it cost us everything we have, it is the pearl of great value, and the only way to live life that extends into eternity!