Succession: pleasure or frustration?
Following Jesus can be a frustration if we try to do it in our own strength. Love for God and our fellow human beings comes from a deep understanding of God’s personal grace. Love flows naturally as we daily live out our salvation through repentance and grace. Through this awareness, we become passionate followers of Jesus.
I have a dream
For three years now, I have had a dream that I want to fulfil. The origin of this dream comes from a YouTube video. The documentary featured countless upbeat, motivated people with happy faces who were making their dream come true. The backdrop was spectacular: hot air balloons at the start, a helicopter, a cordoned-off route, dreamlike landscapes, mountains, galleries, tunnels, bridges, accompanied by thousands of applauding fans. We are talking about Europe’s best-known and most popular amateur cycling marathon – the Ötztaler. Over a distance of 227 kilometres, four mountain passes and 5500 metres in altitude have to be conquered. The highly coveted starting places are drawn by lot every year after registration. It can take a few years to get a starting place. At the beginning of the year, when I registered for the first time, I was lucky and was allowed to start on 1 September.
The dream threatens to become a nightmare
The long route with its many metres in altitude is very strenuous, and there is also time pressure. There are time controls at many points and exceeding a time limit means the end of the tour. I wanted to prepare well for the event so as not to fall victim to the dreaded broom wagon. The preparation up to the end of May went well, and in the following months I doubled my training time. Despite increased training, I was not successful, first plateauing and then stagnating. The closer I got to the start date of the Ötztaler, I realised that I was not in the top form I had hoped for and was not sure whether I would make it in the time given. Heavy legs, overtraining, physical problems, a terrible long-term weather forecast and a problem with my bike: my dream was threatening to become a nightmare.
A void
I had a plan, had worked hard for it and now my dream seemed to have been shattered. An emptiness spread through me and the thought of Psalm 127 came to mind. «Unless the Lord builds the house, the labour of the builders is in vain» (Psalm 127:1 NLB). Was it just my plan, my goal and my dream without God’s blessing? Does God want to give me a sign? Of course, it could also be that I trained incorrectly and am to blame for my poor condition. Nevertheless, the circumstances make me think. Clearly, without God, our actions are worthless. We humans can confidently have big goals, but in the end God has the last word; as in the parable of the rich farmer who tore down his barns to build bigger storehouses. He thought he had provided for his whole life. But the rich farmer died that very night (Luke 12:16–21). The story is about the right priorities in life. I, too, ask myself whether my priorities are right?
The central question of life priorities
Today we also saw the «teaser» before the sermon. Unless we missed a Sunday, it was the 37th. In the «teaser» we are asked every Sunday what has our attention. We all follow something: sport, stars, career, success, possessions or fame. What about Jesus – does he have your attention? Are you following his invitation: «Follow me.»?
What does succession mean?
What does «Follow me»? Jesus had a clear idea of what it meant to follow him.
He asked him, «Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law? Jesus replied: «You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your devotion and with all your mind! This is the greatest and most important commandment. A second is just as important: love your fellow human beings as yourself! Surely no one here has that problem» (Matthew 22:36–39 New Testament). Wow, that’s big mail. Giving up everything to give it to God and your fellow man. As Christians today, we could argue that we are not under this law. This is true, we are not under the law, rather the law should be written in our hearts. Or as Harry Graf said last Sunday, as Christians it is not our foreskin that is circumcised but our hearts. Our lives should be a fragrance of love so that the world may recognise God in it.
Discipleship = God & love of neighbour – pleasure or frustration?
When I hear that, it sounds good, but to be honest, sometimes I don’t feel like doing it because it’s terribly tedious and difficult. Jesus knows that we can’t do it on our own. As fallen creatures, we want to indulge in selfishness. This is precisely why Jesus promised us a helper, the Holy Spirit. «But believe me, it is good for you that I am going away. For if I do not go away from you, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you» (John 16:7 New Testament). God helps us in our discipleship and he does not want to take away everything that is fun. But he does want us to prioritise God and our fellow human beings. So what does this mean for me: what priority options do I have?
What does this look like for me, what options do I have?
Option A: No succession, only sport. I could argue that I am saved and do what I feel like doing and I don’t care about the rest. At the moment I feel like doing sport; Succession is more suffering than passion anyway.
Option B: No sport, only succession. I could decide to give up sport so that it doesn’t become my idol.
Which is the better option? A or B? We can now hold a vote on which is the better option, but I won’t do that at the moment. Instead, I would like to suggest a third option.
Option C: Increase the passion for succession.
The passion for sport does not have to be the problem, the lack of passion for succession is the problem; the love for succession should be greater than the sport. The trick is not to eliminate other passions, but to increase the passion for succession.
Willingness to suffer?
But first, what is passion? In short: passion is the willingness to suffer for a goal. In road cycling, it is the willingness to suffer in order to achieve the goal you have set yourself. It may be about reaching the finish line of a route or getting there faster than everyone else. In order to finish the Ötztaler on time, I was prepared to freeze, ride through cold, wet rain, sweat, endure muscle cramps and breathing difficulties, risk a fall and spend a day on sports nutrition. And for such an ordeal, I paid a handsome entry fee, booked a hotel, travelled to Austria and sacrificed a weekend. My passion for road cycling exists, but how can my passion for following Jesus grow?
The source of passionate discipleship
Where does the passion to follow come from? There are several reasons why we are motivated to give love to our neighbour. In the story of the sinner, Jesus gives us an insight into how love for God flows naturally. Jesus was invited to dinner by a Pharisee. There was a sinner there who washed his feet with tears and dried them with her hair. She also anointed his feet with oil. Jesus then explained why this sinner had poured out her love in this way: «I can tell you where that (love) comes. Her many sins have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But he who is forgiven little, loves little» (Luke 7:47 NLB). This woman realised that she was a sinner and had received grace through Jesus. The revelation filled her with gratitude and this resulted in a natural love. When she realised what a huge gift she had received, she could not help but reciprocate this love.
Everyone who follows Jesus has experienced forgiveness. I came to faith when I received the revelation that I was lost with my sins without Jesus. Until then, I thought that God would accept me because I was basically a good person. One sin is enough, with just one sin we are lost. I knew that I had been given a new life and I gave it to God. But now decades have passed. The trick is to realise this wonderful gift every day. We draw the strength to serve from this gratitude. The daily conscious experience of repentance and the resulting forgiveness trigger gratitude in us. Love springs from this gratitude.
Experience forgiveness every day
Daily awareness of our lostness and God’s grace gives us the motivation to love our neighbour; if we keep this in mind, we will be the most grateful people. Visual aids such as memorials are one way to be reminded of this again and again.
Monuments – reminders of God’s grace
In the Old Testament, God instructed the Israelites several times to erect monuments to his grace so that it would not be forgotten. Of the many, I would like to briefly mention just three.
Jacob erected a stone after receiving a promise from God in a dream. He called this place Bethel (house of God) Genesis 28:10–22.
Joshua built a memorial in Gilgal after the Israelites had carried the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan River on dry land Joshua 4:21–22.
Samuel builds a monument in Ebenezer after the Israelites defeat the Philistines. He named the place Eben – Ezer (stone of help) 1 Samuel 7:10.
Remembering God’s grace is important and gives us strength. We also see monuments in some places in Switzerland. In Catholic areas in particular, we often find crosses and small chapels that remind us of our death and resurrection with Jesus. In the past, crosses could be seen in many houses and even in schoolrooms. But what reminds you of this wonderful gift every day? Is it a necklace with a cross, a ring, a sticker on the car, a W.W.J.D. bracelet from the 90s or maybe even a tattoo? I also ask myself the question, what reminds me daily of God’s grace in me?
Finally, I can reveal that I started on 1 September in ideal weather conditions. I enjoyed the scenery, the cordoned-off route and all the shouting, applauding spectators. At times it was a struggle, holding on to the word of God, praying and believing that with God’s help I would make it. Fourteen gels, five litres of sugar water and two Red Bulls later, I happily crossed the finish line after eleven hours and forty-six minutes. As a reminder I have a Finisher jersey received. It is beautifult’s nice to have one, but it’s worthless compared to the cross.
Possible questions for the small group
Read the Bible text: Luke 7:41–47
- Do you know the story of the sinner who washed Jesus» feet with tears? Why do you think Jesus loved the woman so much? What is meant in Luke 7:41–42?
- Can only people who have sinned a lot really love God?
- Could it be about how well you understand the personal grace of God?
- Do you understand and feel God’s grace? Do you remember the grace of God every day?
- What kind of «monument» of grace could you erect?
- Are you satisfied with my love for God and my fellow human beings?
- How could you increase your love and passion without it becoming a cramp?
