As they followed they were afraid. —Mark 10:32
{CHAMBERS} “At
the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew all there was
to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to
throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not
quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and
unfamiliar— “Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed” (Mark 10:32). […]
At first I was confident that I understood Him, but now I am not so sure. I
begin to realize that there is a distance between Jesus and me and I can no
longer be intimate with Him. I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has
become strangely distant.”
{ELGIN} The disciples thought they could follow Jesus
wherever He went. They discovered that
where He went was beyond them. It was
too hard for them. (John 6:60-66) “On
hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can
accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to
them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to
where he was before! The Spirit gives
life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are
full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not
believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe
and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that
no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time
many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
Our new life is impossible without the Spirit of God empowering us and our faith in God allowing us to live it. The problem …. We settle into a quasi-spiritual walk where we are more dependent upon ourselves and our flesh to be faithful than submission to the Spirit and the Word. If you start to think that what you face is too hard to resist or is inevitable, you are there my friend. You have lost your focus on Jesus and are sinking in the waves. My encouragement to you. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth (those things that vex you) will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Our new life is impossible without the Spirit of God empowering us and our faith in God allowing us to live it. The problem …. We settle into a quasi-spiritual walk where we are more dependent upon ourselves and our flesh to be faithful than submission to the Spirit and the Word. If you start to think that what you face is too hard to resist or is inevitable, you are there my friend. You have lost your focus on Jesus and are sinking in the waves. My encouragement to you. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth (those things that vex you) will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
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