Following Jesus Son of God …

Jesus did not once say:

1.    Go to church.
2.    Have a Bible study.
3.    Go learn more about me.
4.    Go to Sunday School.
5.    He didn’t give abstract lectures on morals or theology.

But the NT lists some forty references where Jesus says, “Follow me.”  Jesus called people to himself from their sin.  He met them in their everyday, run-of-the-mill, mundane lives.  And simply said, “Follow me.”

(Matthew 11:28-30)  “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The Bible scholars probably would have been willing to have a Bible study with Jesus as they were intense in their study of the Scriptures.  I don’t believe it is a stretch to say that they loved to study the Bible.  Look at what Albert Barnes says about the word “search” in John 5.39 in his Barnes Notes.

Search the scriptures – The word translated “search” here means to “search diligently” or “search anxiously.” It was applied to miners, who search for precious metals – who look anxiously for the “bed” of the ore with an intensity or anxiety proportionate to “their sense” of the value of the metal.  It is applied by Homer to a lioness robbed of her whelps, and who “searches” the plain to “trace out” the footsteps of the man who has robbed her. It is also applied by him to dogs tracing their game by searching them out by the scent of the foot. It means a diligent, faithful, anxious investigation.

(John 5:39 NKJV)  “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  (John 5:40 NKJV)  “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

They intensely studied the Scriptures and intensely refused to come to the Savior.

Luke 9:23-25 ESV  And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  (24)  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.  (25)  For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Should we go to church, SS, study the Bible, etc.?  Yes.  But should those things be our goal?  No.  To many in the professing Church today, the profit is in the stuff of religion and not in devotion to Christ.  We have exalted Bible study to an end and not the means to an end.  We are to live by the words of God, not the after glow of our abstract exercises in spirituality.

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So often as Protestants, the independent, fundamental variety (my background for the first 25 years of my life), we criticized the Catholics, for many things, but specifically for the Pope speaking “ex cathedra” or from the chair.  Read article on link below for more in depth explanation of the term.  How dare someone claim he speaks for God?

But as Paul told the Jews in Romans 2.3 that religious critical condemners do the same things they accuse others of, so we as “independents” speak from the chair.  But what we do is worse.  Sometimes it seems we all “speak from the chair.”  We have our Bible studies, form our opinions and don’t you dare tell me differently, no matter how biblical and reasoned your argument is.

I pastored and attended churches like this; people who claimed to believe the Bible to be God’s word but would refuse to honestly examine Scriptures that contradicted their beliefs and traditions.

• Do you suppose, O man–you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself–that you will escape the judgment of God?

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Ex Cathedra

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My wife and I rode home from the wedding through sleet, snow and rain, and someone who was apparently very afraid and drove 15 mph down the highway.  We sometimes look at each other, and I’ll say (or she will), “Here we go again. You and me, Mikey.”

Lots of miles, lots of memories, lots of time to show our commitment to each other, to love each other not because we are so great but because we have each other.  The years have forged someone in our lives that nothing else can do.  Me and Mikey, going down the road together again, literally and figuratively, sharing the day’s experience and some White Castle burgers and Starbuck’s delights, cappucino for me please, grande, while K drooled over a Chai Tea Latte, oh yeah, Baby.

Man it’s good to get back home.  Our Shih Tzu, Abby was so glad to see us and the burgers.

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I am the unofficial family minister.  Performed ceremony today for my nephew and his new wife.  Was pretty nice to be a part of my sister’s family in this way, to reflect on what millions have stood and done before us, generation after generation, marrying and being given in marriage.

Part of what I shared with them was Ephesians 5.21 from The Message:  “Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.”  Be courteously reverent to one another.  A person might think that God is the only one to be revered and that is true but I believe it is honoring to God to treat our fellow humans with reverence, as in utmost respect to the One who created them.

I reverence God so much that I will “be courteously reverent” to my wife, my son, my neighbor.

I don’t get real preachy around my family; I try not to be preachy around anyone, but I do want to be a person of hope and help in their lives.  And I believe today I was, and I feel pretty good about that.  I think God was pleased with what I did.  Sometimes I get it right.

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