Rocky Road Devotions: The Case for Following Jesus

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come. Matthew 12:22-32

Jesus has a habit of saying follow me. Once those words are in the air they must be answered. In this short skirmish with the Pharisees, they disclosed their version of an answer; they said, we’re religious professionals – you’re a servant of the devil.

I would not want to be in their sandals on Judgment Day!

Of course, Jesus made short work of their reasoning. Why would Satan give Jesus the power to destroy the works of Satan? Self-destructive personality flaws aside, even a child knows you don’t play both sides of the checkerboard. The Pharisees were grasping at straws because they had no answer for the miracles of Jesus.

I’ve read stories and watched movies over the years where the plot depended on a leader with a cause. The leader always issues something of a challenge to those whom he would lead into the battle. Who’s with me? C’mon, let’s do this thing; follow me! When you unpack that little phrase, follow me, it’s always an appeal to the conscience of what is right and what is wrong. And then, the decision battle is on; it’s time to fish or cut bait. You either go, or don’t!

Essentially, that is what Jesus says to us. If you’re not with me, you’re against me. It’s my natural response to say, wait, let me think about this…isn’t there a neutral corner…I mean, I’m not really against you…I just don’t know about putting all my eggs in your basket.

And then, Jesus wept.

So, WHY would Jesus be weeping? Because to make no decision at all is to decide against following Him. The choice is, follow, or not; anything other than following is a check in the “not” column.

My father once gave me a task of digging a hole. About three shovels full later I realized the hole wasn’t going to dig itself easily, so I decided to take a break. A long break…as in, forget this shovel and dirt thing, and go find my friend Tommy Stubbolo to see if he wanted to play toy soldiers. That night I ate at my father’s table, dressed in the clothes my father’s money had purchased, and slept in the bed my father had made with his own hands, in the house I didn’t purchase. I lived in my father’s world, but I had ignored his call to follow him into the hole-digging business.

There are those who might cut me some slack, allowing that I was only 7 or 8 at the time. After all, a kid needs to play. And the hole-digging would have had a much greater collaborative feel to it, had Dad told me why the hole had to be dug. But he just said, here, Russell; dig me a hole here, about this big, and that deep. What he left out was…I’m going to plant a new tree you’ll be able to climb on in a few years. But my father simply said, pick up that shovel and follow me.

In retrospect, telling me the why of the hole needing to be dug in our back yard, would have set up a possibility that I might judge my father’s wisdom in putting a tree in that spot…or the necessity of a tree at all. And what does a 7-year-old know about gardening, anyway? And who is a 7-year-old to judge his father?

And when Jesus says follow me, it’s much more important than digging a hole.

For You Today

Here’s today’s annoying question: Are you waiting for Jesus to unpack for you just what following Him is all about? Or have you picked up the shovel? Just asking.