What's the point of the previous post? Understanding this provides powerful protection against two ways that the call to "sell all and follow me" has threatened to destroy the faith of many.
1. There are people who have felt guilty for saving money or for enjoying ANYTHING beyond a subsistence level of living. They have been taught that to really trust God, they should give up everything. The fact that Jesus doesn't issue this call to everyone, and that it was part of a historically unrepeatable era in the history of God's work in the world (namely the earthly ministry of Jesus establishing the kingdom of God) should free people today from feeling a burden that Scripture does not support.
2. Perhaps more prevalent is the notion that to be a "true disciple" requires the giving up of everything, or the leaving family and friends and inheritance and everything that this world offers. There are several instances where Jesus makes some incredibly lofty claims on people who would follow him (i.e. Luke 9:57-62; 14:26-33; 18:22-23). Many genuine Christians who are sensitive and honest about their own struggles and imperfections have been made to feel that they are not worthy to consider themselves disciples because they have not matched up to the requirements that Jesus lays out in these "call to discipleship" passages. The previous study should clear the way to understand that Jesus' call to his disciples to follow him had specific reference to the first century band that went with him to Jerusleam. It doesn't mean that these passages don't also apply to the church today, but we need to be careful to haphazardly apply these texts to ourselves today without making appropriate distinctions.
1 comment:
Well said.
Post a Comment