"Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:38
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die." The call to discipleship is the call to give my whole life to Jesus without reserve. Discipleship is not one foot in the world and one foot in Christ but it is both feet fully devoted to follow Christ no matter what the cost. The goal of true discipleship is to give my all to Christ every day.
Father, whatever it costs I do want to follow Christ without reserve. Help me to hear and follow Him fully in this day.
I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark
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Jesus prepared His 12 disciples by calling them, training them and sending them out to do the work of the Kingdom. He sent them with His authority to do all kinds of miracles. As He commissioned them He gave them very clear instructions. In verse 17, He warns them to be alert and wise in dealing with others. There is clear evidence throughout the chapter that they do not go alone or without the care of God. The chapter ends with a choice —a choice of Lordship, obedience, service and reward or a choice of placing Jesus in second place (which really means last place). I have that same choice every day. My take away from chapter 10 is that God chose me, trained me, commissioned me, instructed me, warned me, set before me the way He wants me to live and serve. My best choice is to become a devoted follower of my Lord.
ReplyDeleteI am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. -Matt. 10:16
ReplyDeleteThis comparison of Jesus's disciples to snakes was very intriguing to me. Sheep and doves are the peaceful creatures that we would eagerly agree that we should be be compared to. But snakes have a negative connotation, especially because of the wicked one in Eden. Jesus says that we are to "be as 'shrewd' as snakes." This word, 'shrewd,' has a couple of different meanings. I looked it up in the dictionary, but without knowing what it said in the original translation I was not going to know what it truly meant.
I asked my dad to translate the word out of the Greek Bible. He said that it would most accurately turn out to mean 'wise' in English. He also said that it is the same word used to describe the wise bulider, which we read about in chapter 7. In that story, Jesus says, "everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man..."
Jesus says that we are "like sheep among wolves." I am surrounded and constantly attacked by the things of this world. That can not be changed. What can be changed what I do about it. There are two things that I need to do in order to be 'wise' by Jesus's standard. I need to hear the words of God, through studying the Bible and conversing with Him. The second thing I need to do is put that knowledge into action in my daily life. Then I will be protected from the 'wolves' of this world. It seems like such a simple concept, yet there is only one who completely mastered it.
Lord, give me the discipline that I need to gain wisdom.
Kara