As the American proverb states: “We can't see the forest because of the trees.” In Bible study we often focus on one passage at a time. It does us well to step back and look at the bigger picture. Did you know that at least 13 times in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus carefully distinguished between real followers and the merely religious? Obviously, he wants us to be very sure that we are truly following Him.
Scott McKnight writes in his book, One Life: “This seems so obvious, but just listen to many in churches today who think following Jesus is an option or the dessert or what only the fanatics manage to accomplish…Those who aren’t following Jesus aren’t his followers. It’s that simple. Followers follow, and those who don’t follow Jesus aren’t followers.”
In Luke 6:43-49 Jesus describes two houses. One is built on the rock and the other on the sand. They represent the differences between real followers and those who don’t really follow him. Both groups hear the word, but the ones built on the rock also obey what Jesus commanded. Obedience to Jesus is the crucial mark of a real follower.
Since this is true we need to diligently learn what Jesus teaches and commands his disciples. We must be careful to pursue a correct understanding of Jesus’ words. It is easy to read in or miss the meaning of scripture because of our culture or experience. One area that clashes with our culture is Jesus’ teachings on wealth, for example. So we need to be careful to really hear and obey Jesus’ words on money. A humble and teachable heart makes all the difference. Let’s get real!
Scott McKnight writes in his book, One Life: “This seems so obvious, but just listen to many in churches today who think following Jesus is an option or the dessert or what only the fanatics manage to accomplish…Those who aren’t following Jesus aren’t his followers. It’s that simple. Followers follow, and those who don’t follow Jesus aren’t followers.”
In Luke 6:43-49 Jesus describes two houses. One is built on the rock and the other on the sand. They represent the differences between real followers and those who don’t really follow him. Both groups hear the word, but the ones built on the rock also obey what Jesus commanded. Obedience to Jesus is the crucial mark of a real follower.
Since this is true we need to diligently learn what Jesus teaches and commands his disciples. We must be careful to pursue a correct understanding of Jesus’ words. It is easy to read in or miss the meaning of scripture because of our culture or experience. One area that clashes with our culture is Jesus’ teachings on wealth, for example. So we need to be careful to really hear and obey Jesus’ words on money. A humble and teachable heart makes all the difference. Let’s get real!
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