Jesus didn't follow anyone on earth - 'thats why we follow him!' my colleague said.
He didn't follow anyone's rules anyone's teaching - except the living word of God.
He did not follow any textbook written by the people of His day, if not we would have heard that expert praise him in the gospels.
He made His own rules - the sermon on the mount he got them from the Spirit of the Lord who taught him the Spirit of the law, which is the love of the Father.
He was the rule.
He was the law embodied.
He was extremely rude, calling a gentile woman a dog once, spit at people to heal them, threw out a person's family out of a funeral once, interupted a few funderal processions, turning water into wine, healing when specifically ordered not to do so, He was clearly a rule breaker and a fire starter!
was it a co-incidence that God choose to put him there at a time where the word stuffy cannot begin to descibe society - more like choking and stifling and tradition killing man's freedom, worship, dignity and original design. The poor had very little rights in those days thanks to the wealth of the pharisee who was not distributing to the poor.
He Only gave credit to the ministry of a fellow clothed in camel's hair - another non-conformist.
He would not be confined by human rules and laws neither by natural rules and laws, walking on water and multiplying food. CS Lewis says: He is wild, not a tame lion, a wild lion. Not a God we can control and works within our perimeters and expectations, not a God we can manipulate, can we handle that!
To outsiders He did not pay much respect to any of the institutions of his day - sometimes purposefully and deliberately attacking them. including stuff in the temple, (which looked like from the outside he disrespected the temple), priests and synagogue rulers, lawyers, scribes, pharisees, saducees (calling them a brood of vipers!) He seemed disrespectful to even the law (saying He the Son of man was above the law) or tradition. Family - (you must hate your family) life - (you must hate your life) and Governing authorities (receiving worship as a King).
But He did actually pay the utmost respect to the temple, family, marriage, religious leadership and to caesar in a godly, balanced way. He perceived the evils within each (the lords of this earth boss it over them etc) and rebuked them fully. refusing to allow loyalty to any institution to cloud His full worship and alliegiance to God.
And bringing God's full intention for each instition to its fullness in the church.
He frequently was not afraid to transgress the time valued traditions of his day, which he saw to not be in line with the Kingdom of God. (no healing on the sabbath! no eating on the sabbath!) He was clearly non-conformist kind of fellow. of the apostles who followed his mode of operation it was declared : 'they who have come to overturn the world have arrived on us!'. That should be the christian's job description: to overturn the world and introduce the Kingdom.
can we handle a God like that? can we get a grip of what it means to be His follower? It will throw us off. we need to be spiritually awake and agile. Jesus said to follow the Holy Spirit is like following the wind - totally unpredictable! you really have to listen hard and be very sensitive to the moving of God. He is one moment raising the dead, another moment, healing, practicing emotional healing and loving some one then casting out a demon then rebuking evil here and there, teaching etc - uncontrollable God!
He followed God's rules to the letter - angering and upsetting many earlings who held fast to earth culture. God's rule is God-like love. To Love human beings as God loves them - do not be afraid to rebuke them when they go wrong but in the right spirit and at the right time and with all boldness. have God's mind and eyes to see the world, be full of God's love to minister to people, to be led by love.
We must worship Him, and not add Him as an appendage to our lives, we must never box or limit His power through unbelief like the children of Israel who could not worship or follow but like spoilt children clamoured for Him to come down to their level. they never grew and lost thier lives prematurely.
He wants to break every chain and set men free! Free Spirited is a Godly thing when led by the Spirit.
Worship Christ, follow Christ.
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