Someone Worth Following

I remember reading about a marathon in which, at one point, most of the runners took a wrong turn and ended up off course for a good bit of the race. They got lost in a marathon. Apparently, the lead runner took the wrong turn and everyone else followed him, figuring he knew where he was going – everyone followed except for one guy. That guy who didn’t follow ended up winning the race. Afterwards, the winner was interviewed and asked why he didn’t follow everyone else.

“I knew they had taken a wrong turn,” the runner said. “I couldn’t believe that many people could make the same mistake, but they did.”

It is possible for a lot of people to be wrong. And it is especially important to know who it is you are following. It’s important to know whether the one who is leading you knows what they are doing.

A disciple of Jesus is one who follows Jesus where he is leading. A disciple observes, listens, learns, practices, and does what the Master does. A disciple is an apprentice like someone learning to be a mason, an electrician, a musician, a doctor.

You can be a follower of many different people, philosophies, or things. One of the major problems of our time or any time is the problem of idolatry. Lest you think that is an outdated, Old Testament word, think again. Idolatry is, in Timothy Keller’s definition, “making a good thing and ultimate thing.” It is taking something of limited value and saying this thing is everything to me. You don’t have to dance around a golden calf to have an idol. Your idol can be television. It can be your investments. It can be sports. An idol is something you give worship-like reverence to that is unworthy of your worship and reverence.

Nothing in the creation is worthy of your worship. Nothing in the material world has enough substance, enough gravitas. Nothing in the creation can direct the creation to redemption and fulfillment. Nothing in the creation can save the Creation from the inexorable effects of the Fall. Nothing can put a stopper on death.

But there is one outside of the Creation, one who was begotten, not made, who is spoken of in Colossians as the firstborn of the Creation, meaning, He precedes all that was created.

“for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created. . .all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1.15-17

Jesus is Creator and Master. He brought this world into being, and to paraphrase an old Bill Cosby line, “he can take it out.” But he chooses to redeem all that would be redeemed.

He is the one who said, “I have been given say over all things in heaven and earth. So you go. . .” Matthew 28.18


The first people who met Jesus recognized the qualities of one who was truly Master.

“Jesus went through Galilee, teaching. . .and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread . . .and great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis (Ten Cities), Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”
Matthew 4.23-25

The sin and weakness of the church today is that we don’t see that anymore. Jesus is nothing that special to us, at least in terms that make an impact upon us. Jesus is a mere icon, a ghost-like semblance of a man, barely conscious who inspires little but the weakest religious homage. If this is Jesus, then why would I want to emulate him or follow him?

It doesn’t make sense to sing “Fairest Lord Jesus” if Jesus is average or ho-hum. Maybe our worship suffers because we don’t see him as fair or pure or bright-shining?

But Jesus as he really is inspires crowds to follow, sick people healed, lost people found, ignorant people taught good news, indifferent people ready to drop all and give all.

Jesus is the smartest human being, the most capable, the most powerful, the most true and loving. He is the brightest thing on the human scene. There is no competition.

He is the one “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2.3

Someone who chooses to follow Jesus believes that Jesus knows what he is doing.

People who met Jesus regarded him as master of every domain of life. Jesus is the one person whose deeds always matched his good words. The counterpoint to that is the Pharisees. Dallas Willard makes this striking statement about them:

“In many ways, the Pharisees were the finest people of their day.” He wasn’t being sarcastic or flippant. The Pharisees really were the best at living religious, moral lives. The problem is, that way of living doesn’t work. You can shine the outside the cup so often but it doesn’t clean the dirt on the inside. This is why when some guy goes crazy and takes a gun to work and starts shooting, almost invariably, it’s some quiet guy who never really stood out as good or bad. Nobody really knew him. The neighbors are interviewed and they say, “We had no idea he was like that. He always seemed okay. He kept to himself.”

You can present a façade. But what is really on the inside will eventually come out. Apples come from apple trees. Lies come from liars. Killings come from killers. It all comes from the heart. That was Jesus’ judgment on the Pharisees. Do what they say, but don’t do what they do. Their way doesn’t work. They are their own worst argument.

Human problems cannot be solved by human means. Human life can never flourish unless it pulses with the “immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe” Ephesians 1.19

Only the constant students of Jesus, in other words, disciples, will be given adequate power to fulfill their lives and callings. Next week we will look at how Jesus actually changes us into new people.