A leader has followers. A disciple is a follower. As Christians, we follow Jesus. Following can be a measure of success, especially today. The more followers, the more successful the leader. We see this with Instagram, Snap Chat, Twitter followers. The goal for these folks, called influencers, is lots of followers, the more followers the better. Generally, on many of these platforms, there is cash involved for those having significant numbers of followers.
I don’t think the Lord would have been very successful as an influencer. Although it is fun to imagine the posts and the hashtags of many of the stories we read about in the Gospels. However, in the years since Christ walked on the earth we lean more heavily on discernment; personal and communal as we continue to follow. Our discernment involves prayer, contemplation, and an intention to listen for the still, small voice of God. That’s the very opposite of an influencer looking for followers in our time.
Just last month we tried to get 100 followers on YouTube in order that we might have more direct access to a Christ Church YouTube channel – we may have reached that goal, but it took a while and a lot of pleading, sort of unsuccessful by YouTube measures.
So #Nazareth? -- Philip heard something about this guy Jesus and he told his friend Nathaniel. Nathaniel questions Philip's decision about following Jesus chiefly because the guy hails from Nazareth. Nazareth was an unflattering geographic destination, and according to Nathaniel, nothing good comes from there. Not a very auspicious start to the following.
And we know from the reading of the Gospels it doesn’t get much easier to follow Jesus. There is the leaving of everything you know, the giving up of everything, jobs, families, yes, even life itself. Then if one adds up the pros and cons of following someone like Jesus the cons probably win. This tells me something - how we evaluate, how we measure, how we determine what is important in our lives is different in the kingdom of God. We know that – but I feel the need to say it again. The good of Nazareth is; the redemption of the world, the hope of the nations, the good shepherd of the least last and lonely, so hashtag that beloved!
The weird, other world way of the Jesus we follow, is not the way of following success and money and privilege. This text reminds us all again of the upside down of life lived with Jesus. The following of love is wrought with the possibility of challenge. I’m in!! What about you?
Alison +
