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No, this isn’t my attempt at a spinoff of the world-famous WWJD bracelet; I was just thinking about what Donald Trump would say to lots of Christians if he were in the sandals of Jesus listening to a modern day Christian explain his or her level of commitment.
The Upper Room meets the Boardroom. Oh yeah….
Check out how ridiculous these excuses and complaints would sound if given to a boss in the modern workplace.
- “I like to sleep in until about 11 each morning, but I can be in by noon – 1 at the latest. That’s not a problem is it?”
- “No Facebook allowed??? How are we supposed to play Farmville?”
- “Ohhhh, could I get my first paycheck today? Kinda got some bills to pay, you know?”
- “Yeeeaaahhh, sorry. I can’t work all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Yoga class, baby! That Downward Facing Dog position is great for the gluts!”
- “There are other people in the office who aren’t working at their capacity, either.”
I can already hear Donald Trump: “You’re fired.”
As silly as these one-liners sounds, we nonverbally communicate the same things to Jesus, do we not? I mean, we tell Him – in one way or another – that we have certain expectations and wants…which usually have nothing to do with His kingdom or cause.
Or we tell Him that there are certain commands He’s given that we’re uninterested in obeying. Does any of this sound like the inside of your head:
- “That whole ‘sell everything and give it to the poor’ stuff is hyperbole…right?”
- “Can we do that fasting thing when it’s more convenient? Anytime after Thanksgiving and Christmas is good with me.”
- “But I don’t have the gift of evangelism. Somebody else will have to tell them. I…I…I’m just not a people person.”
- “Ten percent sounds like an awful lot…especially since Uncle Sam takes 20% off the top!”
- “Forgive?!?! Have you even met my enemies, God???”
If we’re honest, most of us forget that Jesus is both Savior…and Lord! Granted, it’s much more convenient to view Him as merely our Savior, but that’s not what He demands. Even at His birth, Jesus was heralded by the angels as both Savior and Lord (Luke 2:11).
Any disciple who’s doing what the Lord commands will agree: following Jesus is difficult. But hey, Jesus warned all those who wanted to follow Him that it would be! It’s tough to follow Him today; it was tough 2,000 years ago.
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)
Discipleship to Jesus isn’t easy. Just worth it.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Celebrities
Commands
Commitment
Discipleship
Excuses
Faithful
Jesus’ Teaching
Lord
Obedience
Savior
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
