A few years ago I was laid up with one of those odd illnesses that was just strong enough to keep me from work, but thankfully not so aggressive that I couldn’t function. I stayed home, and drifted in and out of sleep while the TV kept me company. You’ve seen those shows that highlight the adventures of fishing vessels, I’m sure. One episode recreated a life-threatening illness of a crew member that needed immediate rescue. A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched, and flew 90 miles through hazardous weather to the ship. It hovered over the ship, in storm-tossed water, and lowered a rescue diver via line to the pitching deck. A cage-like litter was lowered to the deck, the ill crewman was strapped in, and the rescue diver and the litter were winched up through the driving rain to the helicopter. There, the ill fisherman vomited blood all over the cabin, creating a biohazard for all the Coast Guard on board. The chopper turned for home, rushed the shipmate to the waiting ambulance, and we were told that the chance of survival was good.
Wow! Talk about radical action! Here half-a-dozen men braved the elements, executed a difficult flying operation, performed medical triage, and got a total stranger out of harm’s way. They didn’t think twice. They just went. They are not unlike many first responders I know. Police go at a moment’s notice to deal with armed robbers. Firemen go in the blink of an eye to homes ablaze. EMTs head for accident after accident at crazy speeds in a big truck, then care for their charges on the way to ERs. What is common to all these acts? First, they are all dispatched by someone else, and willingly obey a voice on a radio saying “Go!” Second, they all go without hesitation, and with a great sense of passion. Third, they all risk their own lives for the sake of others.
I thought about these radical responders in comparison to my own life in Christ. Am I radical?
Luke Chapter 9 is a challenging passage. If we look at selected verses, we see:
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
There are three questions that arise:
- Am I following Christ?
- Am I proclaiming the Kingdom of God?
- Am I serving the Lord?
First, are we following Christ? The text describes a difficult journey, one without comforts, one without rest. It is a journey with Christ, though, (wow!) and allows us to share in His suffering. Following Christ brings us from that initial joy of salvation to a deeper understanding of His Being, His Love, and His Sacrifice.
Second, having followed Christ, are we proclaiming the Kingdom Of God? That’s a difficult concept, especially for those in a culture of democracy. Is the Kingdom Of God now, or in the future? Scholarly arguments abound, but to me, what is important is the proclamation of the sovereignty of God and His desire for a sustaining relationship with the individual. Am I proclaiming that Kingdom? How? To whom?
Third, after following Christ and proclaiming the Kingdom, am I consistently serving God? One can imagine the joy of salvation leading to an intense period of discipleship and then a cheerful sharing of the gospel. But, are the cares of this world, the duties of work, even the joys of family life now keeping us from serving our Lord? Do our experiences in church, serving diligently, simply wear us down? As we mature, as we age, as we transition from one life stage to another, are we still focused on doing what Christ asks of us?
For what Christ asks of us is simple to say, and difficult to do. We are to love one another (the body of Christ, the church) and we are to witness to the lost. It’s not unlike the first responders we admire. They truly love one another serving as brothers and sisters, and they go to the lost without question, without regard for their own safety or life.
Am I radical?
Seeking To Understand 