Camp Polk Cemetery, Sisters, OR
Matthew 16:24 GNT
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.”
It’s an exciting time for my oldest grandson as he prepares to enter preschool this fall. His dutiful parents are collecting all the necessary accoutrements he will need. His mom was showing him backpack options and to each one he said no. Finally, his dad showed him a photo of a paper bag, which received an affirmative, “That one!” Now, while a paper bag would suffice for a trip or two to school, the longevity of this choice is questionable. In essence, my grandson will need to forget that choice, and follow his parent’s wisdom. After all, he has never owned a backpack, and they have not only owned them, but used them for school.
This is a bit like what Jesus was asking of His disciples. Forget what you want and what you think you know and follow me – who actually does know all. Seems a bit like a “no-brainer.” But just like my grandson, they had expectations, plans, ideas. It’s hard to suddenly forget what you have hoped for, planned on, and work toward. As if Jesus holds out His hand to you and says, “Follow me!” But to take His hand you have to drop what you already have in your hands. And you think, “I have this really good thing right here in the palm of my hand. Why would I let it go?” Because Jesus has something waiting for you even greater than your grandest ideas. Matthew 19: 21-22 shows this decision making in action when a young man came to Jesus asking what he should do. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was very rich.” He couldn’t forget his life and he certainly didn’t want the discomfort of carrying the cross of financial privation nor did he trust Jesus to provide.
On the contrary, Jesus wasn’t asking him to run around in sackcloth and ashes either, but there are many Matthew 19:21 decisions to be made. A musician might sign a “better” record deal if she stops singing about that Jesus stuff. A news station might lose viewers if they stop reporting salacious stories. An actor might lose leading roles because he refuses to glorify sin. A business owner might make better profits, but he would have to sacrifice the benefits he provides his employees. A blogger might have more followers if she would stop writing about Jesus all the time. The decisions are endless. It’s true, the road following Jesus might be treacherous at times, but rest assured, He never leads us astray, never steers us wrong, never leaves us, and always keeps His promises. The purest form of adventure waits for us if we forget ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow…
