Ensign: But First

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS                                       1 July 2016

This is incredible.


With these powers, I could be...A SUPERHERO!


I could fight crime, protect the innocent,


work for World Peace!


But first...





So Pastor Gerald, Jim Carrey, Søren Kierkegaard, James and John the sons of Zebedee, Jesus the Christ, and I walk into a bar ... now WHY does it seem so strange that Jesus would walk into a bar? Didn't Jesus' -- and so should all ours, to be honest -- ministry involve going where people were and not where (we think) He or we would like them to be? But if you're that way about it, I'll say the seven of us met in the mall food court!


What's the difference between admiring and following?


Why did this past Sunday's sermon that Pastor Gerald gave on Luke 9:51-62 call some lines from The Mask to my mind? In a topological oddity, this is the same question. Let's take a look at the Gospel story:


And it came to pass, when the time was come that [Jesus] should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him,
And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.


Verses 51 through 53 show us Jesus with foreknowledge of His death on the cross in Jerusalem going there anyway, and naturally with the group accompanying Jesus they would need to be adequately supplied. But it was a mistake for any Jew to ask help of any Samaritan in those days (why Jesus' parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 was so jarring to His listeners). To the Samaritans if you wanted to get in touch with God, Jerusalem wasn't where you went but rather mount Gerizim. But first Jesus stopped -- and went through -- here.


And when his disciples James and John saw they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as [Elijah, see 2 Kings 1] did?
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know now what manner of spirit ye are of.
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save. And they went to another village.


James and John -- and all the disciples, if we're honest -- in verse 54 match our first impulse when someone slights us. Heck with you, man. But Jesus sticks up in verses 55 and 56 for the Samaritans, and He'll stick up for you too. It's not His will than anyone should perish (2 Peter 3:9) and even when He's dying on the cross, He says in Luke 23:34,"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." So right until your last breath, Jesus but thought of you and I first to forgive us for our sins He was dying for. We just have to take advantage of that, God's way.


And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay head.
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
And another also said, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.


In verses 57 through 62, we see three people responding to the presence of Jesus in their midst. We only hear Him say "Follow me" to the second one in verse 59; call one and call three are implied, but even if the would-be followers of Jesus had heard that call too, we see that all three have one thing in common. #1 might have said "But first let me know I will be secure following You." Nope. Jesus wants our security to come from His promises, not our agendas.


Don't expect perfection of you or your circumstances, but persistence to go through them.


#2 says "but [he] first" wanted to go bury his father, which doesn't necessarily mean he was dead. (See the parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32; essentially, to claim your share of the family inheritance in those days was to imply you wished the head of the house was dead, if -- most often HE -- wasn't already.) So if Jesus had hung out waiting for him, it could be years. And there was very little time left, maybe a year or two (this wasn't the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem yet) before Jesus had to face the cross for us. But first He had to make people ready.



Jesus wants followers, not admirers.


I'd like to say Kierkegaard stole that from me, but you'd never buy it. #3 said he wanted to follow Jesus, "but first" can I say goodbye to everyone at home? This sounds like a natural request, but here's where the cost of following Jesus comes in -- you can't look back. And taking all the time you'd need to put your affairs in order detracts from the time you'd follow Jesus and walk where He would walk and do what He would do. All these "but firsts" can even sound noble to us, yet we're missing out because by following them we become too attached to the past.


And Jesus promises us a far better future.


David


P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch and I hope to be an encouragement too! If I'm not or you just want me to get lost, please let me know. Thank you!


Thank YOU, Lord, that we can come to you in prayer and that we can count on You to provide for all our needs, even when we don't know what they are. And let us come toYou in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and all over the world.


Thank You as well, Lord, for everyone in leadership and service both here and abroad. Thank You also for the opportunities we have and the promise of new life through You by Your Son Our Brother, Jesus Christ.


And I pray that we all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.