No Lukewarm Followers Need Apply

Luke 9:49-62

On of the most thought provoking and interesting movies of the past 15 years was Fight Club, which depicts a group of men who band together to beat each other up. Strange? Yes. But one particular scene comes to mind when considering Jesus' challenging words to his would be followers. In the movie, before any new recruit is admitted into the house where the fight club is held, they must stand outside for days while members of the club periodically come outside to insult the person mercilessly. Since the whole concept behind the fight club is rather juvenile, we may miss the power behind such initiation rituals.

For the fight club or any other intense group of people, the order and confidence of the group can only be maintained when deep dedication is present. At this point in Jesus' ministry, he and his disciples have been proclaiming the word, healing, and traveling the country repeatedly. There would have been opportunities for people to "sign on" to team Jesus for some time. So now that Jesus has become more popular more people want to join the movement. Jesus however is not interested in gathering huge numbers of lukewarm followers, rather, his goal is to bring God's kingdom into the world, and he needs fully dedicated disciples. His words are harsh and difficult:

 

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”Luke 9:59-60

 







Let the dead bury the dead is tremendously harsh and difficult and certainly undercuts the "family values" that so many Christians attribute to Jesus. Make no mistake, following Jesus is challenging and requires us to sacrifice and suffer on his behalf. Jesus knows that Satan will pounce on our point of weakness and challenges us there. If our families, our jobs, our earthly plans, our selfish ambitions, or our fear prevent us from being faithful, Jesus will challenge us to grow there. Following Jesus requires all of who we are; it requires us to truly put God first and submit our lives to God. We cannot be lukewarm.

What are you holding back? Where is Jesus challenging you?