Friday, October 3, 2014

The Journey, part 14: The One in Charge

Herod said, "I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see Him. (Luke 9:9 NASB)


There was a problem with the knowledge Herod sought. He wanted to know the answer to the question "Who is this man?"  There is no indication that he had any interest in submitting to the authority of "this Man".  Herod was a Tetrarch and, as such, had power, fame, and great wealth. He did exactly as he wanted, and everyone else did, too. He gave the orders that those around him instantly obeyed. Herod was in charge. It would not take much investigation into Jesus to find that His words, "Follow Me", could change a man's life forever. Herod didn't want change, and he certainly did not want to put Jesus in charge of his life. All he really wanted was information. 

Therein lies the rub. Do we, like Herod, want information, or do we look to Jesus for transformation?  There is a vast difference between those two, and it has eternal significance. Which is it we want? 

We do well to ask "Who is this Man?" The answer to that question, however, must be followed by one of equal importance. "What will I do with Jesus?" For those of us who claim to be disciples of Jesus already, perhaps a better question is "What have I done with Jesus?" Have I given Him control of my life? Have I modeled my life after His? Do I embrace all the words of Christ or only the ones that best suit my fancy?  

Herod had an extensive network and he undoubtedly gathered quite a bit of information about Jesus. What he learned about Jesus, however, did not determine his eternal destiny. How he responded to Jesus determined that, and it is how we respond to Him that will determine our eternal destiny as well. There was one response for which Jesus asked and it is one that changes everything. "Follow Me." The Savior still asks for that outrageously simple, all-consuming response. "Follow Me."  

What have you done with Jesus thus far?   

What will you do with Jesus today?  

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