"Jesus and the Commitment Ultimatum"
Luke 9:18-27
A big shot Philadelphia lawyer came down to go duck hunting over by the river. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of a fence. As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly Stewart County farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing. The litigant responded, “I shot a duck and it fell in this field, and now I’m coming over to retrieve it.” The old farmer replied, “This here’s my property, and you ain’t a-coming on this side.” The indignant lawyer said, “I am one of the best trial attorneys in the country, and if you don’t let me get that duck, I’ll sue you and take everything you own.” The old farmer smiled and said, “Well sir, it appears you don’t know how we do things around here. We settle small disagreements like this with the Tennessee Three Kick Rule.” The lawyer asked, “So what pray tell is the Tennessee Three Kick Rule?” The farmer replied, “Well, first I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on until one of us gives up.”
The attorney thought over the proposed contest and decided that he could easily outlast the old codger, and so agreed to abide by the local custom. The old farmer gingerly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the city fellow. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy work boot into the lawyer’s groin and dropped him to his knees. His second kick landed square on the man’s nose. The lawyer was flat on his belly when the farmer’s third kick to a kidney nearly caused him to give up. But the attorney summoned every bit of his will and managed to get up on his feet and said, “Okay, you old coot, now it’s my turn!” The old farmer just smiled and said, “Naw, I give up. You can go get your duck.”
Just because you’re wholeheartedly committed to a cause doesn’t mean your commitment won’t be tested—maybe even punished—at times. And that’s what Jesus was getting across to His disciples. He began working His way toward this point by asking them first, “What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?” and then narrowing it down to, “And you—what are you saying about me—about who I am?” This is the ultimate question of wholehearted commitment, and it’s answered not only with our words but with how we live out our lives. When Peter answered, “The Messiah of God,” his confession becomes a major turning point in Luke’s Gospel. For Jesus then began an in-depth explanation that yes, glorification was on its way, but before that glory could come about, He would have to suffer—and each and all of His disciples would soon be walking the same road.
The reward for someone who tries to translate ideals into reality is apt to be frustration and defeat. Sure, there are some exceptions, but not too many. It happened that way to Jesus. When He first emerged on the public scene, He was an overnight sensation. He would try to go off to be alone and the people would still follow Him. The masses lined the streets when came to their towns. But the cheering didn’t last all that long; the tide began to turn against Him. People still came to see Him, but the old excitement was missing, and the crowds weren’t as large as they had been. Before it was all over a tidal wave welled up that brought Jesus to his knees under the weight of a cross. Why did the masses so radically turn against Him? Because Jesus began to talk all the more about commitment! Prior to this time Jesus’ message had largely been one of grace. When wine was needed at a wedding, He turned water into wine. When thousands were hungry, He fed them all with a boy’s lunch. When they brought their sick to Him, He healed them. When a woman was about to be stoned, He came to her aid and rescued her. But now He seemed to be saying, “The time for miracles is over; the time for commitment is now.”
While there are a minimal few miracles recorded in the chapters following this one, there continues to be a constant and persistent call to commitment. Hungry one morning, Jesus stops by a fig tree and finds no figs. He withers the tree because it’s not producing fruit. He demands fruitful, committed lives! A parable is told: Who is more committed? The son who says, “I’ll work” and doesn’t or the son who says, “I won’t work” but gets the job done? The son who is committed enough to do what’s required! The great commandments are reiterated: “Love the Lord your God with all your strength, mind, heart, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.” And it all begins right here with this outrageous call for His disciples to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him. Jesus wanted them to know that the Christian life is rarely an easy life, but it’s the only way to eternal life.
And it takes wholehearted commitment. I’m convinced that while we journey through this life we’re going to face hardships and suffering. Facing hardships and suffering without Jesus means you’ll face hardships and suffering without purpose. You’ll still have a cross to bear; you just won’t have any meaning and purpose in bearing it. On the other hand, facing hardships and suffering with Jesus means you’ll face those hardships and suffering with purpose. The cross you’ll bear will be the very cross of Christ—a cross full of meaning and purpose. And at the end of your journey—at the end of denying yourself and taking up your cross and following Jesus—is a wonderful, precious homeplace made just for you.
But for Him to be our homeplace, we must be committed to doing His will—and that on a daily basis. We have to deny our selfish desires to use our time and money and efforts in our own way—deny following our own agenda without regard to Christ. Then we have to shoulder our own cross by living for Him and not for ourselves. Then we have to follow Him by imitating His life and obeying His commands—and that every day. Anything less is superficial lip service. After all, people are willing to pay a high price for something they value. Is it any surprise that Jesus would demand this much commitment from His followers?
Surely the ultimate commitment is bearing a cross. Cross-bearing is a powerful ancient image that stood as a sign of rejection. In Jesus’ day the cross-bearer had committed such a severe crime that he was to be executed, and these criminals were forced to bear their own crosses as they plodded to their death. Thus for a committed Christian to bear a cross means that he has died to this world and is separated from its values and lifestyle. It also means that the world may reject or even eliminate that believer for walking outside its paths, but he’s willing for that to happen because God has called him to walk a different way; God has called him to walk a way of integrity, purity, faithfulness, and humble service to his Lord; God has called him to follow His Son, Jesus Christ. And when it comes right down to it, if we believers get too comfortable in this world—if no one can tell our lives are any different—it probably is because we’re not wholeheartedly committed to the cause of Christ. For to carry a cross we must deny ourselves—and that every day.
Frankly, it is materialism and the pursuit of power, independence, and security that are the biggest obstacles to denying ourselves. And yet everything in our culture—from commercials to education—pushes us toward making ourselves more and more comfortable in this world. But denying yourself means seeking God’s will and spending time before Him so He can lead and guide you in the way you should go. It means being a learner—a follower. It means your attention is turned to how you can follow Jesus, not how you can make Him follow you. It means seeking His kingdom, not your own. It means walking against the grain of cultural values so that your expectations take a back seat to God’s call. It means seeing things differently than you did before. It may even mean leaving behind some lofty dreams—like the American dream—that have been instilled in you by a citizenship that you’ve now left behind for the kingdom of God. Ultimately, it means never being in a mode where God cannot challenge you to a deeper walk.
Years ago in the former Soviet Union, believers were quietly singing a hymn so as not to arouse the suspicion of the KGB. Suddenly, in walked two soldiers with loaded weapons. One of them shouted, “If you wish to renounce your commitment to Jesus Christ, leave now!” Two or three quickly left, then a few more. “This is your last chance! Either turn against your faith in Christ, or stay and suffer the consequences!” Several more slipped out into the night. No one else moved. Parents with children trembling beside them looked down, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned. The other soldier closed the door, looked back at those remaining, and said, “Keep your hands up—but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers . . .” The other soldier interrupted, “But instead, we were converted! We have learned by experience, however, that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted.”
If this present life is most important to you, you’ll do everything you can to protect it. You won’t do anything to endanger your safety, health, or comfort. By contrast, if following Jesus is most important, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places. But that won’t be your ultimate fear because you know that Christ has claimed you for eternal life. We are Jesus’ disciples, and His disciples are not to use their lives here for their own pleasure; we’re to spend our lives serving God and others. And in this life, that’s what commitment to Jesus Christ calls for. So deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him—every day.
Let us pray: Lord, for too many of us, we’ve been holding back. We’ve withheld our commitment to You because of our own selfish desires. May it be that way no more. May we truly commit all of our lives to You for Your service as we deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow You. In Your name we pray.
Luke 9:18-27
A big shot Philadelphia lawyer came down to go duck hunting over by the river. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of a fence. As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly Stewart County farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing. The litigant responded, “I shot a duck and it fell in this field, and now I’m coming over to retrieve it.” The old farmer replied, “This here’s my property, and you ain’t a-coming on this side.” The indignant lawyer said, “I am one of the best trial attorneys in the country, and if you don’t let me get that duck, I’ll sue you and take everything you own.” The old farmer smiled and said, “Well sir, it appears you don’t know how we do things around here. We settle small disagreements like this with the Tennessee Three Kick Rule.” The lawyer asked, “So what pray tell is the Tennessee Three Kick Rule?” The farmer replied, “Well, first I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on until one of us gives up.”
The attorney thought over the proposed contest and decided that he could easily outlast the old codger, and so agreed to abide by the local custom. The old farmer gingerly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the city fellow. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy work boot into the lawyer’s groin and dropped him to his knees. His second kick landed square on the man’s nose. The lawyer was flat on his belly when the farmer’s third kick to a kidney nearly caused him to give up. But the attorney summoned every bit of his will and managed to get up on his feet and said, “Okay, you old coot, now it’s my turn!” The old farmer just smiled and said, “Naw, I give up. You can go get your duck.”
Just because you’re wholeheartedly committed to a cause doesn’t mean your commitment won’t be tested—maybe even punished—at times. And that’s what Jesus was getting across to His disciples. He began working His way toward this point by asking them first, “What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?” and then narrowing it down to, “And you—what are you saying about me—about who I am?” This is the ultimate question of wholehearted commitment, and it’s answered not only with our words but with how we live out our lives. When Peter answered, “The Messiah of God,” his confession becomes a major turning point in Luke’s Gospel. For Jesus then began an in-depth explanation that yes, glorification was on its way, but before that glory could come about, He would have to suffer—and each and all of His disciples would soon be walking the same road.
The reward for someone who tries to translate ideals into reality is apt to be frustration and defeat. Sure, there are some exceptions, but not too many. It happened that way to Jesus. When He first emerged on the public scene, He was an overnight sensation. He would try to go off to be alone and the people would still follow Him. The masses lined the streets when came to their towns. But the cheering didn’t last all that long; the tide began to turn against Him. People still came to see Him, but the old excitement was missing, and the crowds weren’t as large as they had been. Before it was all over a tidal wave welled up that brought Jesus to his knees under the weight of a cross. Why did the masses so radically turn against Him? Because Jesus began to talk all the more about commitment! Prior to this time Jesus’ message had largely been one of grace. When wine was needed at a wedding, He turned water into wine. When thousands were hungry, He fed them all with a boy’s lunch. When they brought their sick to Him, He healed them. When a woman was about to be stoned, He came to her aid and rescued her. But now He seemed to be saying, “The time for miracles is over; the time for commitment is now.”
While there are a minimal few miracles recorded in the chapters following this one, there continues to be a constant and persistent call to commitment. Hungry one morning, Jesus stops by a fig tree and finds no figs. He withers the tree because it’s not producing fruit. He demands fruitful, committed lives! A parable is told: Who is more committed? The son who says, “I’ll work” and doesn’t or the son who says, “I won’t work” but gets the job done? The son who is committed enough to do what’s required! The great commandments are reiterated: “Love the Lord your God with all your strength, mind, heart, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.” And it all begins right here with this outrageous call for His disciples to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him. Jesus wanted them to know that the Christian life is rarely an easy life, but it’s the only way to eternal life.
And it takes wholehearted commitment. I’m convinced that while we journey through this life we’re going to face hardships and suffering. Facing hardships and suffering without Jesus means you’ll face hardships and suffering without purpose. You’ll still have a cross to bear; you just won’t have any meaning and purpose in bearing it. On the other hand, facing hardships and suffering with Jesus means you’ll face those hardships and suffering with purpose. The cross you’ll bear will be the very cross of Christ—a cross full of meaning and purpose. And at the end of your journey—at the end of denying yourself and taking up your cross and following Jesus—is a wonderful, precious homeplace made just for you.
But for Him to be our homeplace, we must be committed to doing His will—and that on a daily basis. We have to deny our selfish desires to use our time and money and efforts in our own way—deny following our own agenda without regard to Christ. Then we have to shoulder our own cross by living for Him and not for ourselves. Then we have to follow Him by imitating His life and obeying His commands—and that every day. Anything less is superficial lip service. After all, people are willing to pay a high price for something they value. Is it any surprise that Jesus would demand this much commitment from His followers?
Surely the ultimate commitment is bearing a cross. Cross-bearing is a powerful ancient image that stood as a sign of rejection. In Jesus’ day the cross-bearer had committed such a severe crime that he was to be executed, and these criminals were forced to bear their own crosses as they plodded to their death. Thus for a committed Christian to bear a cross means that he has died to this world and is separated from its values and lifestyle. It also means that the world may reject or even eliminate that believer for walking outside its paths, but he’s willing for that to happen because God has called him to walk a different way; God has called him to walk a way of integrity, purity, faithfulness, and humble service to his Lord; God has called him to follow His Son, Jesus Christ. And when it comes right down to it, if we believers get too comfortable in this world—if no one can tell our lives are any different—it probably is because we’re not wholeheartedly committed to the cause of Christ. For to carry a cross we must deny ourselves—and that every day.
Frankly, it is materialism and the pursuit of power, independence, and security that are the biggest obstacles to denying ourselves. And yet everything in our culture—from commercials to education—pushes us toward making ourselves more and more comfortable in this world. But denying yourself means seeking God’s will and spending time before Him so He can lead and guide you in the way you should go. It means being a learner—a follower. It means your attention is turned to how you can follow Jesus, not how you can make Him follow you. It means seeking His kingdom, not your own. It means walking against the grain of cultural values so that your expectations take a back seat to God’s call. It means seeing things differently than you did before. It may even mean leaving behind some lofty dreams—like the American dream—that have been instilled in you by a citizenship that you’ve now left behind for the kingdom of God. Ultimately, it means never being in a mode where God cannot challenge you to a deeper walk.
Years ago in the former Soviet Union, believers were quietly singing a hymn so as not to arouse the suspicion of the KGB. Suddenly, in walked two soldiers with loaded weapons. One of them shouted, “If you wish to renounce your commitment to Jesus Christ, leave now!” Two or three quickly left, then a few more. “This is your last chance! Either turn against your faith in Christ, or stay and suffer the consequences!” Several more slipped out into the night. No one else moved. Parents with children trembling beside them looked down, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned. The other soldier closed the door, looked back at those remaining, and said, “Keep your hands up—but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers . . .” The other soldier interrupted, “But instead, we were converted! We have learned by experience, however, that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted.”
If this present life is most important to you, you’ll do everything you can to protect it. You won’t do anything to endanger your safety, health, or comfort. By contrast, if following Jesus is most important, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places. But that won’t be your ultimate fear because you know that Christ has claimed you for eternal life. We are Jesus’ disciples, and His disciples are not to use their lives here for their own pleasure; we’re to spend our lives serving God and others. And in this life, that’s what commitment to Jesus Christ calls for. So deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him—every day.
Let us pray: Lord, for too many of us, we’ve been holding back. We’ve withheld our commitment to You because of our own selfish desires. May it be that way no more. May we truly commit all of our lives to You for Your service as we deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow You. In Your name we pray.
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