abandoning everything

We must turn our eyes from seeing Jesus as a quiet little guy who sings hymns and praises all day long. Jesus was a rule breaker. He went against the grain of his time; he defied the authorities with power, and he claimed himself to be God! He touched those who were not to be touched, he worked on the Sabbath, a day when you were not supposed to work, he claimed to be God, punishable by death. Whoa! All of us have an insane urge for revolution; it’s no wonder Jesus got so many followers! He was breaking the rules and going into metaphorical combat with the leaders of the day! What excitement! If someone amazing began a revolution, and we joined, would we continue if the leader started demanding suicide runs against the government? No! So when Jesus claimed himself to be God—a claim punishable by death—his followers swooned, and many left him. Jesus wasn’t just a rule breaker—he was the extremist rule breaker! Jesus was a radical, a danger, a threat to society! But yet, while many turned away, others stayed. When Jesus asked why they weren’t leaving him, they replied: Where else could we go? You have the answers to eternal life! (John 6:68). While many abandoned him, others didn’t sway, and stood steadfast by Jesus’ side. Why? Because he had the answers to eternal life; because he was sheer truth. They abandoned everything they had and followed him, knowing the road ahead would bring peril, being filled with fear, but putting trust in Jesus, just as we should. Jesus was a rule breaker; he made people uncomfortable; but salvation is only found in this wild warrior! We need to abandon everything and follow him! We must forget our friends, family, hobbies, enjoyments, jobs, salaries, safety—everything means everything--so that we can do the will of God (yet this is not an excuse to drop your lousy job, or reject the blessings God has given you). Abandon bad habits, anything that gets in the way of you following Jesus. What is recorded numerous times in the 12 Disciples following Jesus? They dropped everything and followed him! And look how God used them!