Is Following Jesus Enough?

“The curious paradox of the atoning death of a bloody Jesus rising above the plane of human history with a mocking crown of thorns is that he is offensive in an attractive way. It is the utter horror of the cross that cuts through the chatter, noise, and nonsense of our day to rivet our attention, shut our mouths, and compel us to listen to an impassioned dying man who is crying out for the forgiveness of our sins and to ask why he suffered. Tragically, if we lose the offense of the cross, we also lose the attraction of the cross so that no one is compelled to look at Jesus. Therefore, Jesus does not need a marketing firm or a makeover as much as a prophet to preach the horror of the cross unashamedly.” – Mark Driscoll from Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches

Now normally I use a quote from a book that either I am currently reading, or have recently read.  However, with the quote above, I have done neither.  I ran across this quote recently in my daily blog reading, and it really stuck with me.  I’m fascinated by the amount of people I meet, both online and in person, who call themselves “Followers of Jesus.”  It seems people would rather attribute this title to themselves instead of, say, “Christian.”  It has a nice ring to it, “Follower of Jesus.”  In fact, most people describe themselves this way in the “Religious Views” category on their Facebook profile (I just wrote “yes” in mine). “Are you a Christian? No, I’m a follower of Jesus.” It sounds awfully ecumenical, tolerant and free from so many tags and labels that so many of us as younger Christians wish to be rid of. Yet in many circles, it seems to be taking on a life of its own.  A life that may, in reality, be pointing away from the Jesus it claims allegiance too.

When I read and hear about what I can do to be a better “follower of Jesus,” I become a little concerned the omissions I hear, rather than by what this label affirms. I read and hear a lot about Christ’s calls to uplift the poor, look after the marginalized, love one’s enemies, turn the other cheek, etc.  And at this point I’m loving it, and rejoicing in the supreme moral vision of our Lord Jesus that extends to so many of our current issues in this broken world. I’m then convicted ready to go out into the world and tackle contemporary issues as a follower of Jesus. But step back and take a closer look. What’s missing?

When I step back, what I don’t often see is a cross. I don’t see nail-pierced hands. I don’t see a thorn scraped brow. Ultimately, I don’t see the glorious substitution of Christ in my place whereby I can truly call myself a follower of Jesus (because he has purchased me with his very own blood). Rather I see an ethical Jesus. A Jesus who knows right from wrong, but has no way to deal with a problem that stretches so much deeper than right or wrong behaviour. I see a moral, first century Rabbi, inspiring people to be more moral.

A Jesus without a cross is a Jesus that will not transform or cause anyone to benefit from his amazing moral vision. My deepest fear is that people who pursue this type of Jesus may one day be found to not be a follower of Jesus at all, and that would be tragic.

Happy Sunday! Shelby out!