Followers, Not Admirers

Bread and Wine Reading: "Followers, Not Admirers", Soren Kierkegaard

Scripture Reading: Matthew 4: 18-22
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

We like this Scripture. It is the beginning of Jesus gathering together his disciples, those who would be with him through his ministry, and those who would accompany him as he began spreading the Good News. I’m wondering, though, how many truly understood what they were actually signing up to do. The rest of the Gospels usually depict these men following Jesus around, asking questions, and often-times looking like a somewhat bumbling group as they crawl on top of each other clamoring to be named first. But this was a big deal. They were changing their whole lives. There was no going back. And ahead of them lay a call to travel out of comfortable boundaries, stretch one’s mind and one’s faith beyond the usual grounds, encounter rejection and possibly even expulsion from “acceptable” society, and ultimately be left alone standing at the foot of the cross. This was not going to be a safe journey!

Kierkegaard reminds us that “Christ came into the world with the purpose of saving, not instructing it.” He goes on to lay out the difference between a follower of Christ, one who strives to be Christ and follows Christ’s lead beyond what is easily seen and planned, and an admirer, one who, though looking to Christ, chooses to keep oneself partially detached and at a safe distance. There are lots of admirers of Christ in the world. They are willing to follow Christ as long as the journey stays within the acceptable boundaries of doctrines and definitions, rules and regulations. They are willing to follow Christ and worship Christ as long as they can maintain their secure and stable lives. And they are willing to follow Christ as long as the blessings are plentiful and abundant and they are not drawn too far into social or physical peril. After all, God protects us, right? But admirable though that may be, that is not what Christ calls us to do.

We are not called to stand at a safe distance and admire what Christ does, even emulate Jesus’ very life when it is feasible and fits well into our own. We are, rather, called to follow God into the deepest mysteries of life. We are called to follow Christ all the way to the cross (and you’ll remember how that came out!) But there, at the foot of the cross, we are raised to new life. So, in this Lenten season, shift your focus beyond admiring Christ and become a true follower. It is hard, even risky, but the glory waiting for you within the mystery of God is beyond anything that you could even imagine.

Discussion Questions:1.) What reasons do you have for maintaining a “safe distance” from Christ?
2.) In what ways are you an “admirer” of Christ and in what ways do you think you are truly a follower?
3.) Kierkegaard contends that being a true follower requires sacrifice. What sacrifices do you think we are called to make in this 21st century society?

So go forth, and follow Christ to the Cross!

Grace and Peace,

Shelli