A Light for My Path

I like to think that I have some original thoughts in my head. Especially when it comes to my writing. But, truthfully most of my post ideas come from something I’ve read or something someone else has said or done. I do try to always give attribution. And, while I wish that what I have to say was completely original, at least I put my own spin on it.

My dear friend who I mentioned a couple of weeks ago gave me a 365-day devotional book for my birthday entitled His Parables (published by Integrity Publishers). Each day the devotional includes a short passage from one of Jesus’s teachings as revealed in a parable. It’s followed by an explanation and commentary from a Christian scholar such as C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Calvin, etc.

I love it that these lessons are concise and pithy. Jesus’s parables themselves were brief and He used examples that were familiar to average, often uneducated people. Top that with insight from some of the most brilliant Christian intellects of all time and you’ve got a 5-minute sermon each morning for a year.

The lesson for Day 59 is entitled “Jesus Above All Else.” It quotes Luke 9:59 where Jesus encourages a man to follow Him and the man asks Jesus to let him just go bury his father first. I’m gonna be honest and tell you that I’ve always thought Jesus’s response to the man was kind of cold. He said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (verse 60). Several other times Jesus was stern in His directions about what was entailed in being His disciple.

John Piper offers his explanation for this seeming harshness:

The point of all these tough words as Jesus interacts with different people is not to create laws that all disciples or all missionaries have to keep: Thou shalt give all your money! Thou shalt go without a bed! Thou shalt go without a funeral for your dad! The point is that Jesus knows everyone’s idols.

John Piper, His Parables

Wow. Jesus knows exactly what our sticking point is. He knows the things we cherish the most. The things we would find the hardest to give up to truly follow Him. Our idols.

I’ve heard the story since I was a child of how early in His ministry Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and the two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, just dropped their nets and followed Him. Perhaps my childish mind didn’t question this, because, well it was JESUS. But, really. Were they married? What did their families think when they just walked off with this guy? What about their boat? Their livelihood?

Even as a child I was amazed at the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham finally has a son at an incredibly old age. Then after a few years of joyfully watching his son grow, Abraham is ordered by God to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice on a burning pyre. And he obeys. Nowhere in this story (Genesis chapter 22) does Abraham ask why, beg God not to make him do this, try to offer himself as a substitute. All the things that any parent I know would do rather than give up their child.

No, Abraham takes Isaac up to the designated place, builds a fire, ties his son up, raises a knife to kill him …

And, God says STOP.

He praises Abraham for his faith and his obedience and tells him to untie his son. And points out to Abraham a ram tangled in the brush that he can sacrifice instead.

Abraham didn’t have a sticking point. He had no idol before God. I doubt any of us is Abraham. I’m pretty sure we all have sticking points. Idols, if you will.

The thing I cherish most in this world is my family. I think God would say that’s okay. I should love my family. But, I need to remember that “in this world” part. I should not love and cherish them more than my Heavenly Father. I should not make idols out of my children, grandchildren, husband, parents. But, do I?

Psalm 139:23 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

Am I ready for that test? What if He finds my sticking point?

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Laura