The persistent father, part 8

And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, (Luke 9:43 NASB)

There were two groups present that day, the crowd and the disciples. The crowd knew His hands. They marveled and were amazed at what they had seen. They delighted in what Jesus could do for them. The disciples were also delighted and amazed by what they had seen, but they had been invited into a greater intimacy with Christ. They delighted in Who He was. 

We will soon see that the disciples did not understand all that Jesus said to them, but they understood that He spoke the words of life. They were willing to leave home and family, livelihood and security to be with Jesus. Following Him became the highest priority in their lives. 

The crowd knew His hands. The disciples knew His heart. That distinction made an eternal difference for those men who followed the Master. The question we must answer is which do we want to know? Christ's hands or His heart? Are we part of the crowd, following to be entertained and to be on the periphery of the miraculous, simply along to eat the loaves and fish? Are we, instead, disciples who want to know the heart of the One who can not only transform our eternal destiny but transform our daily lives? Do we want to follow and obey the One who came to set us free? The difference is of vital importance and we do well to seriously evaluate our commitment. 

Are we disciples or not? Our answer to that simple question makes all the difference, both now and in the life to come. Be sure, dear ones, that you follow the heart, and not merely the hands, of Christ.