It is an old, old message and it goes all the way back to what were some of the earliest days in Galilee.
The good old days…
That is, before there was “this” confrontation and “that” confrontation, always “a confrontation” coming from one direction or another.
You could almost count on it.
Publicly speak and you are going to rub someone the wrong way – it is almost inevitable – unpreventable. It is never surprising.
You cannot please them all.
So, it was a different time in a different place, just Jesus and his students…privately teaching and instructing them…and all he had to say was, “follow me,” and they followed…
Pretty simple.
Pretty uncomplicated.
Pretty direct.
They actually had a good time in those days, they bonded quickly, they were each so very different. It was as if, they all came with their own individual gifts, and as you might imagine – their own individual baggage.
From time to time, they would squabble and disagree…but that was pretty infrequent. Mostly – they just sat there or asked a few questions…or just nodded their heads in agreement.
But things seemed to change, with that first sermon in Nazareth…
You would have thought they would have been honored, surprised, delighted…
But “NO,” there were some there who would have hurled him off a cliff, if they could have…
It was not the “homecoming” anyone expected…or predicted…
He was REJECTED by the Nazarene’s … by his own people, that had to hurt. It had to leave a scar or two…and that was just the “onset” of the Galilean Ministry.
And now, at the beginning of his journey to Jerusalem, he is rejected again, but this time by a Samaritan village.
Imagine, being rejected by them! How dare they? Just “who” did they think they are?
You of course, know the whole sordid history between the Samaritans and the Jews. It was one of those things that went back so far, that most people couldn’t even remember what precipitated it at all.
Everyone just knew they were sworn enemies…traditional enemies…always hostile to one another.
Their peoples did not intermix or intermingle or intermarry, they had different centers of worship, different capital cities, and different books of scripture.
At one point, in the divided kingdom, Samaria was even the Capital city of Galilee… And now, zero contact. Keep away. Stay out. Keep your distance. Unclean! No respect.
Jews considered Samaritans to be half-breeds, ethnic traitors, bad guys, and Samaritan dogs… There was no love lost between them.
Jesus’ “reaching out to them” …was…well… culturally exceptional. Even their land (itself) was considered to be “unclean.”
Imagine, even being rejected by them…now that, that was really something…embarrassing actually.
When Jesus said to people even here to “follow me” he meant it.
He meant “now.” I want you to follow me.
Today. Right now. In this moment of time. Without delay.
He did not say, “When you get around to it.” Or, “when you can fit me into to your already horrendous schedule.” Or, “when you have nothing better to do…”
He said, “Follow me.”
The demand of the Kingdom is absolute. No other duty can detract from following Jesus.
This is something – of the utmost importance…everything else takes a back seat… to it…EVERYTHING.
Nothing can be MORE IMPORTANT…if it is…if it does – you may have to be held accountable for it, and you may have to explain yourself.
We are not kidding around here.
Follow me, means follow me. It means everyday and in every way. It means following me, even when you do not want to, or when it is not convenient. It means do as I do.
Either you follow or you do not.
There are no breaks, there are no vacations, there is no time off…
It means you talk the talk (but more importantly) you walk the walk…24/7.
Follow me!