WATCHWORD:
25 Great crowds were following him. He turned around and addressed them as follows: 26 “Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—yes, more than his own life—otherwise he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-26
18 He told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. 19 Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this—that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Matthew 28:18-20
Meditation:
Be His
A month ago, I posted a Watchword about an ancient clay lamp that my uncle Harold had uncovered and brought back from an archaeological dig in the holy land. Prior to that experience, he and his wife had been missionaries in China for more than 10 years. I think it takes a special kind of person to serve in the mission field, especially in an area that was so primitive as the interior of China. I can only imagine that they felt a higher calling to that service.
I wonder what kind of a person deliberately gives up the life they have known in order to follow their faith in Christ. I think about Paul, Barnabas, Peter and Philip who brought the word of Jesus Christ into foreign territories in those early years following the Resurrection. They deliberately gave up themselves for other people through their own decision to follow Christ to where ever He led.
I struggle with what Christ tells us in Luke 14:26, “If someone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, Brothers and sisters, yes, even in his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” How does one overcome that kind of a qualification? I think our own definition of hate gets in the way, but I believe I know what Jesus is saying: your allegiance must only be to God the Father. It’s like his charge to the rich young ruler to sell everything, meaning reorder your priorities, and follow only me as your first Love.
Oswald Chambers speaks on this issue and points out that any one of an array of relationships, whether it’s to a person or a position, or wealth that competes with our relationship with God. Divided loyalties means we cannot be entirely His. To be sure, such a state of affairs does not stand us outside of His love for us, but it is not complete surrender to our Lord and Savior.
We sometime refer to ourselves as “disciples of Christ”, but I wonder. Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession. Jesus says “You shall be witnesses to me.” The entire commitment of the disciple is to seek to be a delight to Him, full and complete surrender. Are we ready for that?
I was only seven when I last saw my uncle Harold. In recent times, I wish I could have had a revealing conversation with him or my aunt. What I know of them from my father, they were committed to doing the work of God. I wonder if they would claim the missionary’s secret of being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”
Could we say that? I don’t know. We do our best and try to fulfill our understanding of God’s purpose for our lives. We probably could say, with Thomas Merton, “… the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.” May it be so for us. Amen.
Merton’s Morning Prayer:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.
