Worth Following

Let's begin today with a challenge: look at your social media accounts and tally up the number of followers you have. I'll give you a few minutes...

Finished? Okay, now total the number of accounts you follow. All set?

Great! Let's begin. Today's post has absolutely nothing to do with that. Huh? At least, not in that way. I'm actually pondering what it means to "follow" and to be a "follower." Take social media; following is more like paying a bit of attention --you know, when it's convenient. You receive notifications, but you are free to ignore them, even "silence" them if you like. Following an internet personality might mean agreeing with them --until their opinions conflict with yours. Being a social media "follower" could mean you imitate that person: you cook the recipes they recommend; you use identical products to organize your workshop; maybe you even begin to laugh or speak as they do. You are free to pick and choose the tenets to which you will or can adhere. The rest you are free to discard. Followers come and followers go.

And why does one follow? Ease of use? I don't have the time to come up with something new, so I'll just follow his suggestion. Maybe it's a lack of creativity or knowledge. This whole topic is beyond me; I need help. It might even be a means of self-check. Am I crazy? Does my opinion make sense? Or, maybe, it's a distraction. I've had a long day. This guy always alleviates the stress. Following on social media is sort of a what's-in-it-for-me activity. When the novelty wears off, so does the online affection.

What about content? Does the content of those we follow on social media determine the type of follower we are? Her stuff is fire! I never miss a post! Or I only check out his page when I'm looking for an alternate viewpoint. Maybe the content provides a daily dose of wisdom, or maybe it's just another voice in the algorithm. How seriously do we follow those whose sustenance does not last, whose content is not fresh, whose words do not cause us to be better people? 

Every personality or ideology has followers; this didn't start with the internet. But there is only one Master, one Teacher, one Leader who chose death knowing for certain it would bring His followers to life. That was and is Jesus Christ. Throughout His ministry, He gave people the option to follow Him, an invitation that secured His death and, possibly, theirs. Had Jesus Himself followed, adhered to the zeitgeist, no boats would have been rocked, no feathers would have been ruffled, and the hypocrites and haters would have had no cause to kill Him. Had people followed Him in much the same way we follow that guy --What's his name? --the comedian on Tik-Tok --You know the one --had they followed half-heartedly, non-committedly, conveniently, sporadically, selectively, the world would not have been turned upside down and the Adversary would have no reason to be at work today. But Jesus was and is different. One reading of John 6 reveals this.

Verse 2 tells us, a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. They followed because He was handing out bennies, because He was wow-ing crowds with extraordinary wonders. When He fed thousands of people with five barley loaves and two small fish, the people sought to grab Him and make Him king (v. 15). Give us the things that will heal our diseases, fill our pockets, and satisfy our stomachs! What followed was a game of Cat & Mouse as Jesus evaded His hungry followers: you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled (v. 26). The signs were so much greater than leprous skin made clear or a small boy's lunch exponentially increased. The signs were that He, Jesus, was and is Healer, Provider, the Redeemer of the whole world, God in flesh. The signs were that He possessed the power and authority to offer serious, steadfast, unconditional, devoted followers healing that begins with the heart, provision that does not spoil or mold, redemption that supersedes sin and death. He declares still today, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; His content is not one of many options, another voice in the algorithm. And He declares still today, the way of following Him is narrow and difficult. It is not easy and not for the faint of heart. His tenets cannot be cherry-picked or silenced; His words cannot be discarded. His purpose is not to entertain or distract. He doesn't work at our convenience. He is worthy of imitation, of absolute surrender and all our affection. And while the crowds may ask, What's in it for us?, true followers will ask, What's in it for Him? Are you following? Will you follow? The journey is so worth it.

Midweek: The Prodigal Son (Part One)

Who doesn't know the story? Maybe some of us know someone who has lived it. The son (or daughter) who chooses to go their own way, leaving home and giving a big fat filthy gesture to parents. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Let's start with some context.

In Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells a story, a parable, meant to teach truth. This parable is Jesus' response to the snide comments whispered by hypocrites: they'd been carefully watching, looking to accuse this new, popular, authoritative Rabbi. He receives sinners and eats with them, they murmured (Luke 15:2). Jesus then tells of the lengths to which His Heavenly Father will go to rescue even one lost soul. But this specific parable, The Prodigal Son, ends with something of a twist; a brother who does not know the lavish mercy of his father, blind to all he has been granted and begrudging his own bother of favor. A twist that exposed an additional truth about the hypocrites themselves. For now, however, let's look at some of the details of the parable itself.

The youngest son demands his share of his inheritance. I've heard some pastors point out, inheritance is shared when the benefactor is dead, and by reason of logic, this son was "wishing" his father dead or stamping his father "DECEASED." I don't know ancient Hebrew culture; that may be the case; but I do know self-centeredness and addiction. All the egoist sees is what he wants, what he believes will ease the pain or longing. It's not that he (or she) wishes evil on anyone or hurts others with malice aforethought, but when faced with the choice to self-medicate or do the right thing, they will choose self-medication at any cost; obvious and severe consequences (even to themselves) will be ignored. Instant gratification over and above what could be a lifetime of outcomes. Thus was "the prodigal" in Jesus' story. 

So, too, was Esau, son of Isaac, brother of Jacob. Esau was dealing with a growling belly and a weary spirit. A blessing on some far-off day was of little use to filling empty places in that very moment. It had to be converted into physical currency if it was to satisfy the lust of the flesh. In Esau's case, it had to be exchanged for stew; in the prodigal's case, we are told that after his father divided his living between his sons (both sons, by the way), days later, the younger son left. Why not immediately? Esau made the trade and ate the stew. Why, after he received his due, did the prodigal not immediately take flight? The Complete Jewish Bible says, As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home (v.13). Interesting detail. His share, most likely, would have been given to him in the form of land and livestock. What could he do with that but stay right where he was? That wasn't his plan. Or was it? We assume he wanted to leave because that's what he winds up doing; but was it? Jesus never says the young man's intent was to venture off. Jesus says the young man wanted his blessing right then and there. Period. 

And that's where we'll stop today. So many of God's children find life in this world to be difficult, even unbearable. We want our bellies filled, our houses comfortable, our clothing modern, our lives exciting, and our ears tickled. We have pain. We have longings. And we want them met. Right here, right now. We cast our gaze across the horizon to the lives of others and the expectations of culture, and we cry out, Why not me, God? Why not now? The promise of blessing on some far-off day is of little use in filling our present empty spaces. So, we seek gratification in things that God has been graciously, mercifully withholding; we take the blessing rather than receive it. Or, we manufacture our own "blessing" in the things of this world. Before you know it, we are far from home. That may never have been out intent; we simply wanted an easier, less painful life. But a passable substitute has come, if only for a time, and it has carried us away from our Father and away from where we genuinely belong. God, in His wisdom, is drawing us to Himself even as He is granting us the things which will lead us away. He knows that without Him, we will never be truly satisfied, and He keeps His eyes peeled, awaiting our return. 

See you next week!

Save Me from Myself!

We've all seen those sappy love stories where the guy is just so into the girl, he knows her every idiosyncrasy and the deep meaning behind each one. Women, especially, long to find that partner who is so perfectly tuned to thoughts and feelings. The husband who recognizes his wife is stressed the minute she heads to the snack cabinet --but doesn't dare respond to it with Didn't you just have a snack? (Note to my male readers: NEVER, I mean NEVER say that!) Do men crave the same intimacy? Maybe a wife who has that "sixth sense" something is wrong. She calls her husband only to have his phone answered by paramedics at the accident scene. He's okay, by the way. Or maybe, men simply appreciate having lemon meringue pie for dessert and a wife who lets him watch football in peace. Either way, close relationships are important; partners who have the ability to and are willing to save us from ourselves. But is there any human being who can anticipate our every need, sense every fear or misgiving? Is there any human being who can always be there to save us from ourselves?

In my struggles with addiction, and in working The Fourth Step (a searching and moral inventory) of a Twelve Step program, I discovered my compulsive behavior came in part because I wanted so desperately to be seen. I wanted someone --anyone --to notice my brokenness and save me from it all. A fearsome warrior bearing me away on his horse, carrying me far from my past and my pain; making all things new. I needed to be rescued. Even from myself. But how to change? How to get saved? If I couldn't help myself, there had to be someone out there who could. My husband? My children? I craved validation and sympathy; I thought someday I'd have enough to make the hurt stop hurting. If I could find just the right person... The unfair and unrealistic expectations I'd placed on those around me took their toll, and relationships suffered. And while I acknowledge it is important we have those in our lives who know us well, who seek to understand us and build intimacy, the level of difficulty involved in saving someone from themselves can be mastered by only One. Yes, those closest to us can act as vessels for God's wisdom and comfort; they can hold us to account and answer the phone in our hour of deepest need. But the saving, the renewal, the rebirth can only be the work of One. And here is the unspeakable hope: He completes our salvation!

At Creation, God made His will clearly known. No pain, no toil, no separation from Him, no self-awareness, no hierarchy within humanity, no unmet intimacy, no sickness unto death. Did man's fall alter God's infinite will? Of course not! His will is still as it was then, but sin is the barrier; the Fall of Man has its consequences. There are conditions in this world from which God will save us. How many times have you recovered from a cold? How many times has someone who has hurt you offered a sincere apology? How many times have you slammed on your brakes just in time? There are also conditions He will use. The courageous battle of a loved one with ALS and the gift of time you were given to sit with them. The accident that required a CT scan, a CT scan that revealed a tumor growing unperceived. The season of poverty that drew you to His presence again and again throughout each day. And there are conditions which may cause us to think healing and peace are not His will. But certainly they are! His Word assures us! Read Psalm 37 and count the number of times He promises good things for those who humbly obey Him.

However, we are seeing the completion of our salvation from a tiny, tiny window, from a dot on the timeline of all eternity. In order for our salvation to be made perfect, other things must first occur. Yes, He can and will save us from ourselves, from our addictions, our past hurts, our offenses and misguidedness, our character flaws, even our financial poverty and our diseases. But His timing is perfect; and while we may wonder why He doesn't immediately restore the relationship with our parents or say a word and open blind eyes or make the law firm hire us, He does nothing in part. He will save us from ourselves in full! He knows us better than we know ourselves --intimacy --but it is an intimacy that, coupled with His perfection sometimes baffles us and frustrates us. We don't always know what events must occur before the need is met. We don't always know why the winter is so long. But be assured, He is working in full to save us from ourselves, a self of which we may be completely unaware, but a self He knows intimately.