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highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
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Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
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Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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THE WAY FORWARD IN CHRIST
(Part 34)
FOLLOWING CHRIST
June 27, 2010
Today’s readings
1 Kings 19:16-21
Psalm 16:1-11
Galatians 5:1-18
Luke 9:51-62
Jesus calls everyone to follow him.
Since that is not an easy thing to do, Jesus does not call us under
false pretenses. He does not just present the blessings that will come,
but also the difficulties and challenges. And so it was with one
would-be follower of Jesus. Bursting with enthusiasm, he exclaimed, “I
will follow you wherever you go.” (Lk 9:57). Jesus told him that the
one he proposes to follow does not have a place to call home and
oftentimes has no rest (Lk 9:58).
But when one has decided to follow him, Jesus expects a firm response
and a total commitment.
One Jesus called said he would follow, but only after his father had
died. He was a good man who was mindful of his obligation to care for
his aging father. But Jesus told him that the proclamation of the
kingdom of God was of far greater importance, and so had the greater
priority (Lk 9:60).
Another also said he would follow, but wanted to spend some time with
his family first and arrange his family affairs. Again he was a good man
who cared for his loved ones. He was going to follow Jesus, but wanted
some final quality time with his family. But Jesus told him that if he
had decided to follow, that he needed to be free of any sentimental
attachments that would hinder his work for the kingdom of God (Lk 9:62).
Indeed, how many missionaries are troubled by loneliness and pining for
the comforts of home, such that their work is adversely affected?
Jesus is not being unreasonable. Rather, he is stressing the importance
of following him and of being focused on and committed to the work that
we have already decided to embrace. He knows that there will be many
distractions, attractions and obstructions. Unless one is firmly
committed, his following Christ will always be under threat.
And so if we decide to follow Jesus, we should do so totally and without
reservation.
This is what Elisha did. Elijah called him to the prophetic mission, as
he was plowing the field. Elisha responded by slaughtering the yoke of
oxen, burning the plowing equipment as fuel to cook their flesh, and
giving the food to his people (1 Kgs 19:21). Elisha burned his bridges.
He destroyed his means of doing agricultural work. There was no turning
back.
It is the same with us. We cannot be lukewarm. We cannot keep our
worldly options open. We cannot have an ace up our sleeve just in case
things do not work out. We cannot have a Plan B when we have decided to
follow Jesus.
Jesus went all out in carrying out the Father’s plan. Jesus went all
out for us. He held nothing back. He endured every affliction and gave
his life in the end. If we are to be his followers, then he expects us
to do the same.
Practically speaking, what does such following of Jesus mean?
First, we are to have no other gods in our lives. Some of us do. We have
already chosen to follow Jesus, but we still look to other gods. These
might be money, power, position, worldly pleasure, or the like. We are
reminded by David: “Worthless are all the false gods of the land.
Accursed are all who delight in them. They multiply their sorrows who
court other gods.” (Ps 16:3-4a). Our response is firm: “Blood
libations to them I will not pour out, nor will I take their names upon
my lips.” (Ps 16:4b).
Second, we are no longer to submit to slavery. “For freedom Christ set
us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of
slavery.” (Gal 5:1). We were enslaved to the world, the flesh and the
devil. We had worldly and materialistic values and attractions, we
succumbed to the demands of our flesh for pleasure and comfort, we were
dictated to by Satan. But Jesus has set us free from all these. However,
there will always be that continuing inner struggle within us. So we
need to stand firm.
Third, we are to live in and by the Spirit. This is the way to overcome
the flesh. “I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not
gratify the desire of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16). But beyond overcoming
the flesh, it is the way by which we take on the very nature of Christ.
It is how we can become holy. It is how we can strictly follow God’s
ways. It is how we can be empowered by the Spirit to help build the
kingdom and keep our commitment to Jesus.
So we are called to leave everything behind in order to follow Jesus.
What can we look forward to if we do so?
First, our future is secure. In fact, our future can only be secure if
it is in Christ. Know that God has a wonderful plan for us. He has
destined us from all eternity for greatness in Him. If we accept Him as
our very life, if we submit and conform to His way of life for us, if we
trust in Him for everything, then we have a great future to look forward
to. “Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you have made my destiny
secure.” (Ps 16:5).
Second, God will bring us to pleasant places, in this life and
ultimately in the next. God shows us the path to true life, a life lived
in Him. This is a path of great delights and joys, even as it would
include suffering and pain. “You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence” (Ps 16:11a). And after a delightful
life on earth, we look forward to heaven, to “the delights at your
right hand forever.” (Ps 16:11b).
What then do we do, if we are to truly follow Christ? How do we keep on
track after we have decided to follow him?
First, we must always keep our focus on Jesus. “I keep the Lord always
before me” (Ps 16:8a). We pray everyday, we read the Bible every day,
we are mindful of the Lord’s presence and action in our life all
through the day. We do not allow ourselves to be distracted by the
world, or if we are, then we turn quickly to Jesus. We discipline our
flesh. We reject the allures of Satan. We look to Jesus to guide us
through life and see us through the ups and downs.
Second, since pain and suffering will be part of our day-to-day lives,
we always take our refuge in Jesus. “Keep me safe, O God; in you I
take refuge.” (Ps 16:1). We do not look to alcohol or drugs or illicit
pleasures. We do not turn away from our Christian commitments. We do not
lose hope. We do not lose our joy. And we always trust that Jesus
will see us through.
Third, even as we always hope in Christ, we live out fully the virtues
of faith and love. “For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through
love.” (Gal 5:6). We keep our faith in God no matter what is happening
in our lives. And in manifesting our love for God, we concretize this
love by our dealing with other people, especially our brethren. We are
to “serve one another through love.” (Gal 5:13b). We are to love our
neighbor as ourselves (Gal 5:14).
God loves us so much that He calls us to follow His Son Jesus. Jesus has
already shown the way. Now he calls us to be his followers, so that he
can bring us along the right path, the only path that leads back to the
Father and to the eternal joy of heaven.
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