Bible Reading: Genesis 22; Nehemiah 11; Matthew 21; Acts 21
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Agabus had prophesied that Paul would be bound at Jerusalem and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles. Paul would encounter persecution and be thrown into prison because of it. His friends responded:
Acts 21:12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
Paul would not be moved. He was going to Jerusalem and he was ready to be bound and to die if need be for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you get in the way of others following Jesus? Would you have been like his friends and tried to dissuade him when you found the difficult he would encounter?
Paul had been told by Jesus that his walk would be a difficult one the moment he was born again into the kingdom of God.
Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
Paul did not operate under false pretenses. He knew that to follow Jesus meant to suffer. He knew that persecution would be a part of the job. This did not deter him. Many live under the illusion that life is 'safe'. It is not. You will die someday. The apostle Paul knew this and summed up his life in this way:
Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Peter had to learn this lesson the hard way. Jesus had been teaching that he would suffer at the hands of sinful men and die and be resurrected. Peter rebuked Jesus for what he was saying! Jesus answered him:
Mark 8:33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
If you get in the way of someone following the will of the Lord, you are like Satan. Are you ready? Do you want to follow Jesus no matter what? Or do you live under the illusion that life is to be safe? Following Jesus is risky, but worth it. Will you say with the apostle, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain? That is Christian discipleship!
In Christ,
Rody
