This week's Bible Study - September 27, 2009
The Results of Knowing Jesus
 Background Scripture:
Mark 8:34-38; 9:33-37; 10:32-34
Quote of the Week:
“The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions.”
-- John A Simone, Sr
In the past few lessons, we've learned about knowing Jesus. First, we learned about the Jesus that people should know. Different people have different thoughts about who Jesus is, but what we think matters very little as opposed to who he really is. Then, we learned about the people that Jesus knows. He knows those who think they know him, because of a relationship with a church (if that's the only thing they have in common with Jesus, he wasn't too pleased with them) and those who seek after him, not only for themselves, but also for others. He knows people that are more concerned about pleasing him than anything else. Then, we learned about the challenges that are associated with knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus will challenge our preconceptions about him and about life in general. As we mature in our knowledge of Christ, we will find ourselves challenged to follow him or the world.
What a person does with Jesus is the one decision that has the biggest impact in life. We tend to forget that, as we get engrossed in school, or our jobs, or our sports teams, or our relationships, or anything else. Some people are solely focused on achieving all that they can achieve in this life - being the greatest at what they do (or at least great). There are big decisions that may impact your life for several years, but it is the decision about Jesus that matters most. Some people want to put any decision about Jesus off until 'later'. For some people, that 'later' never comes. They may choose many different reasons to not accept now, but whatever the reason; it still remains the one choice that can impact a person's life more than any other decision, both for today and for the remainder of your life.
As Jesus was talking to the crowds and his disciples, he made it clear that he was asking for a complete commitment from those who desired to follow him. He said that if any of them desired to follow him, one must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Christ. So many people are looking for the easy way, the path of least resistance. If they are pressed to make a decision, they will most likely choose the easiest one; the one that would seem to be less difficult. Each of us have to make decisions each day, and if you were honest, which would you choose? I heard of a quote by C.S. Lewis that says something like 'when one learns that self is self, and God is God, there is a daily decision that must be made - will one follow self or will one follow God?' We can all probably relate to that, even if we have made the commitment to follow Jesus. And, often that daily decision really comes down more to following self than following God on more days than we'd care to mention.
Many think that they have control of their life, so they are not willing to cede that control to Jesus Christ or anyone else. They are the ruler of their own domain, and many believe that they have things in control. Jesus says that if anyone wants to save his life, he will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus and for the gospel will save it. This runs counter to what many think, as they believe that giving their life over to Jesus will result in chaos. Either way you go, you will experience some amount of chaos, as life is unpredictable, at best. However, when you give your life to Christ, you will have joy and peace that you cannot find elsewhere.
Jesus made the point that many people are living to gain the whole world. I travel quite a bit, so I spend a fair amount of time on airplanes and in airports. Everywhere I go, I see business people that are trying to get ahead. They conduct business at every possible opportunity, as they are on their laptops or their cell phones often. Unfortunately, I have at times in my life been part of that crowd. Even as a believer, I had the desire to get ahead, and it did incur negative consequences elsewhere. However, Jesus says that if you gain the whole world, it is useless if in the process, you lose your soul. And, there is no possession that you can attain that you can give in exchange for your soul. You can't buy God off. It is interesting that God has given us a clear opportunity to find him, but so many people want to do it in their own way.
For many of us, we have made the decision to follow Jesus and we have accepted whatever that may come in doing so. Sure, we'll all make mistakes along the way - none of us are perfect, but we may be set on seeking Christ. Even as believers, we may find times that we shirk from what we're called to do. Perhaps God has laid a specific thing on your heart - to reach another person with his love. It is a risk to share your faith with others, as it may make them see you in a different way, and you may become less accepted by 'the crowd'. Jesus said that if anyone is ashamed of him and his words in this adulterous and sinful generation, then He would be ashamed of them when they come in the Father's glory. This world is very much anti-Christ - and it seems to grow more so each day. In the world to come, we will be surrounded by God's glory. Are we living so that we are aligned to him in this world and the next, or are we shirking away from what he has called us to do today?
You might think that the disciples had it all together and that they were always aligned to the way Christ would have them to be. In one sense, it may seem amazing for that to not be true. In another sense, we can fully understand. Life for us might be different or seem different for a while if we were constantly around strong believers, but we are still who we are. Eventually, the tendencies that are inside of us rise to the top. The disciples dealt with many of the same things that we do today. In this passage, Jesus asked the disciples what they were arguing about on the road. They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest. However, they didn't tell him that - you wouldn't expect them to say that, would you? Unfortunately for them, they were dealing with Jesus, who knew what people were thinking and whispering from across the room. He knew exactly what they had been talking about.
Jesus sat them down and told them "If anyone wants to be first, he must become the very last and the servant of all". This ran counter to what they thought they were looking for and what they thought they needed. Then Jesus took a little child and had him stand among them. While most people look at kids as being cute, the point Jesus was making was surely making them feel uncomfortable. They wanted to be seen as great, and Jesus brought the child into the mix, helping them to see themselves as they should be. Jesus took the child in his arms and said "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
The point was not to be arguing about one's own greatness but welcoming others in Jesus name. By doing so, they were welcoming God. When we get more and more self focused, we tend to miss the opportunities that are around us. Our lives should be less about self promotion and more about being the hands and feet of Christ in our daily lives. Are you aware of the opportunities to deal with others in Jesus' name as you go throughout your day?
In the verses preceding this passage, a rich young man fell before Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told the man that he had to keep the commandments and the young man replied that he had done since he was a boy. Jesus didn't question him on that, but that was obviously wrong. There are many people today that are just like that young man. They look at their lives and think that if they just live in peace and don't cause trouble, they are right with God. Rather than arguing about that technicality, Jesus went straight to where his heart was - and told him that he must sell at that he had (which was a lot) and then give it to the poor. This obviously cut this young man to the quick. He went away sad, because he had great wealth, and was not willing to part with it. Jesus told his disciples that it is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (he used the camel through the eye of a needle analogy indicating impossibility). The disciples were amazed and mentioned that they had left all to follow Christ. Jesus said that you will receive much more in the life to come than what you may have lost in this life.
The disciples obviously had some trouble comprehending all that Jesus said. They had seen miracles and heard powerful, authoritative teaching. They heard Jesus speak to those who approached him and learned much in their times with him. They surely had given up everything to follow him - their careers and even many of their relationships. However, others that followed Jesus - those on the fringes - were probably more afraid. They came to listen to his teaching and to see amazing miracles, but they went back to what they were doing. I'm sure they were impacted, but they were not solely focused on following him. Some people fall away from Jesus, as they believe it means they must change everything. In a way everything changes, but we are not all called to leave jobs or relationships, but to allow Jesus to be in control in each of those areas.
Jesus took the disciples aside again and told them what was going to happen. We must remember that the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus, so they were interested in the long term plan. Jesus told them that they were going to Jerusalem. It was good that they knew where they were going. Then, he said that he would be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. He would be condemned to death and would be handed over to the Gentiles, who would mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Can you imagine the hush that surely went over the disciples after that? What would you think? You had given up your career and so many other things in the life that you were living to follow him - and he was going to go die? I'm sure that rocked their world. Just after being told that that was what Jesus demanded - everything. Then, they heard he was going to be killed. Jesus continued that he would rise in three days, but I doubt that they got any of that. In their experience, after death, there was no rising. I feel sure that they saw Jesus on extremes - at times, a wonderful, powerful teacher, obviously sent from God, and then when he talked about his death (and resurrection), he must have seemed more like a lunatic. I would imagine that at those times, they chose to disregard his words. None of us likes to hear words that will seemingly make life more difficult for us, do we?
Closing
This lesson can seem like a difficult one to many. Jesus wants a complete commitment. He wants us to be all about him, and less about our own personal ambition or things that so often take our time. It can seem difficult, but the key point is missed if we are just looking at what we are supposed to do. Jesus made it very clear that the eternal benefits of following him far outweighed the earthly costs that may also be associated.
If you choose to follow Jesus as your primary pursuit in life, you will encounter some trouble. Others you work with or associate with do not have that same pursuit. You may even encounter difficulties within your family. Others may go to church occasionally or may be 'good' people, but they don't want to go overboard. You may pay some penalty in those relationships when you truly seek to live for Christ in your daily life. You may pay some penalty in your job if your primary focus is serving Christ.
I do believe that some people can take this to an extreme, though. Everything they do becomes a spiritual activity, and they become almost too spiritual for their own good. When I look at the life of Christ, that isn't what he did. That is what the Pharisees and teachers of the law did. They got wrapped up in what they did and tried to make everyone else do it. Jesus was more about how he lived and how he dealt with others. When you give yourself to Christ, you are to change your motivation and the way you live your life. It isn't to join a monastery or to become overly spiritual outwardly. Have you given your life to Christ?
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