HOW CAN I FOLLOW JESUS?
Matthew 25:31-45
So many of today's evangelistic methods and emphasis are in absolute contradiction to those of Jesus. Why are groups that are so careful about quoting his words, so negligent about following his lifestyle? Let's analyze the characteristics of Jesus' religion:
I. FIRST, HIS RELIGION WAS PRIVATE.
He said, “Be careful when you do good things. Don't do them in front of people to be seen by them . . . When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will see them . . . When you pray, you should go into your room and close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen . . .” (Matt. 6:1-6).
Jesus also said, “Not all those who say that I am their Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who DO what my Father in heaven wants . . . many people will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, we spoke for you, and through you we forced out demons and did many miracles. Then I will tell them clearly . . . 'I never knew you'” (Matt. 7:21-23).
“You . . . Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs . . . You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:27-28).
So, you see, Jesus criticized a “Bumper Sticker” Gospel. Overt piety and conspicuous displays were never advocated. He said, “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long” (Matt. 23:5).
Yet, many groups go public with showy placards and “phylacteries” in the form of huge Bibles and ornate crosses. They advertise their faith at every opportunity. But, Jesus' religion was private.
II. SECOND, JESUS' RELIGION WAS PERSONAL.
He said, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this . . . is welcoming me.” (Matt. 18:5).
In the final judgment Jesus said, “The King will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you . . . For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? . . . and show you hospitality? Or . . . give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?'
And the King will tell them . . . ‘When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'” (Matt.25:35-40).
Jesus always put the needs of individuals over rules and doctrines and traditions. He would have agreed with this verse by John Hayes:
I think that helping a little child and bringing him to his own
Is a darn sight better business than loafing around a throne.
In fact, Jesus was constantly challenging rules and traditions by saying, “You have heard it said; but I say . . .” He emphasized that human beings take precedence, even over the Sabbath. Yet, many groups are legalistic: Rules must be kept, and traditions must be preserved regardless of the harm this may do to individuals.
But, Jesus' religion was personal!
III. THIRD, JESUS' RELIGION WAS REALISTIC.
He said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:15-18, 20).
Later, he said fanatics are never satisfied. “John the Baptist didn't drink wine and he . . . fasted, and you say, ‘He's demon possessed.'
And I . . . feast and drink, and you say, ‘He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of . . . sinners!' ” (Matt. 11:18-19).
Jesus was down to earth. He avoided superstitions and rejected shallow, pious sentimentality. Once, “A woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, ‘Happy is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you.' But Jesus said, ‘No, happy are those who hear the teaching of God and obey it” (Luke 11:27-28, edb).
Many groups emphasize irrational “miracles” and ethereal “appearances” of saints and angels. But, Jesus' religion was realistic!
IV. FOURTH, JESUS' RELIGION WAS PRACTICAL.
He said, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matt. 7:24).
He emphasized sensible priorities. Once, he said, “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law . . . Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things . . . justice, mercy, and faith . . ." (Matt. 23:23a).
“I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me” (Matt. 25:45).
His criteria for all behavior were, “does it work?” “What are the results?” Yet many groups minimize essential skills and preach almost exclusively about “walking on water” and “physical ascensions” which are totally irrelevant in our daily life. Jesus' religion was practical.
V. FIFTH, JESUS' RELIGION WAS POSITIVE.
When Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with many notorious sinners, “The Pharisees were indignant (saying), ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?' . . . When he heard this, Jesus replied, “Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do . . . Learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough' ” (Matt. 9:10-13).
He even told a story about how to treat the evil we see around us: A “farmer's servants came and told him, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!' ‘An enemy has done it!' the farmer exclaimed. ‘Shall we pull out the weeds?' they asked. He replied, ‘No, you'll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds . . .' ” (Matt. 13:27-30).
Yet, so many well meaning Christians spend their lives “fighting sin!” Once “the teachers of religious law . . . brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. ‘Teacher,' they said to Jesus, ‘this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him . . . but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!'
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away . . . until only Jesus was left . . . with the woman. Then Jesus . . . said to her, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?'
‘No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I' ” (John 8:3-7, 9-11).
Furthermore, Jesus rarely attacked sin or sinners. He knew that trying to kill every germ is impossible and besides, some are useful. It's much better to strengthen our immune system,. Yet many groups are defined by “what they are against.” This alienates outsiders and creates conflicts among members. Jesus' religion was positive.
VI. SIXTH, JESUS' RELIGION WS TOLERANT.
He accepted all religions and cultures. Once, “When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, ‘Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and racked with pain.' Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.'
Then the officer said, ‘Lord . . . Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, “Go,” and they go, or “Come,” and they come . . .'
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! . . . Many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob . . . in the Kingdom of Heaven” 9 (Matt. 8:5-11).
Another time, “A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord . . . My daughter has a demon in her, and it is severely tormenting her.' ‘Woman,' Jesus said to her, ‘your faith is great. Your request is granted.' And her daughter was . . . healed” (Matt. 15:22,28).
Jesus never censured different belief systems or required others to agree with him. Instead he admired and valued “good fruit” wherever he found it. Yet many groups march, shout and condemn anyone who dares to have a diverse opinion or practice. Jesus' religion was tolerant!
VII. SEVENTH, JESUS' RELIGION WS NON-LITERAL.
He used symbolic language and gave many analogies. When some asked if John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated, Jesus said, “If you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come” (Matt. 11:13-14).
Now, of course John was not actually Elijah, but he filled a similar role.
Jesus also said, “I assure you that some of you standing here right now will not die before you see me . . . coming in my Kingdom” (Matt. 16:28).
Again, this did not literally happen. He came in Spirit on Pentecost.
Jesus' morals were not absolute either. When people criticized his disciples for pulling wheat on the Sabbath, he said, “Haven't you ever read in the Scriptures what King David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and they ate the special bread reserved for the priests alone. That was breaking the law, too . . .” (Matt. 12:3-4).
When people condemned him for ignoring certain food regulations, he said, “You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery . . . theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands could never defile you and make you unacceptable to God!” (Matt. 15:11,19-20).
Jesus used symbolic language and described deep concepts with concrete analogies. In short, he knew the difference between “truth” and “facts”: He was a “door”, but he was not made of wood; We are “sheep,” but we don't have tails; John the Baptist was an “Elijah,” but that didn't involve a physical reincarnation. Yet many groups fight and split and destroy each other over absolute literal interpretations. Jesus' religion was not literal.
In fact, Jesus wouldn't even recognize and certainly wouldn't condone many of the religions that are propagated in his name today. He was progressive and open to change. He said, “I have many more things to say to you, but they are too much for you now. But, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth . . .” (John 16:12-13a, edb).
That indicated a gradual learning and developing of our belief system. When will we ever discover these “new things” if we are held to the absolute revelation of a closed canon and forced to replicate the exact procedures of a 2000 year old, so called, New Testament church?
Let's follow Jesus by following the religion he taught and lived.
(WC1959)
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