If You Say So, Jesus...

Most people who have ever been around church know the story from Luke 5 of Jesus calling Simon Peter to be a disciple. Remember the story? Jesus is preaching and finds himself with his back to the Sea of Galilee, so he asks Simon is he can get in his boat. After a while, Jesus tells the fishermen to push out into deeper waters and they will find fish. Simon explains to Jesus that they had fished all night, and that this area was a "Not Spot." That is a spot where the fish are not (Thanks, Ted & Lee). Jesus tells them to go there anyway. Simon responds with all of his negative stuff, and then says (in Luke 5:5), "but if you say so, I'll let the nets down again." Of course the boat fills up with fish, and that is amazing. But it is the words of Simon Peter that I want us to think about today. "If you say so, Jesus..."

Let's be real for a minute. There are a lot things the Christ teaches us in scripture that are pretty ridiculous sounding. If we use rationale and logic, they are things we should just toss aside because they make so little sense in the world we live in. So we are left with faith as a basis for response to many of the teachings of Jesus.  And in faith, our answer must be, "If you say so, Jesus..." Think about these scriptures and how almost comical they sound when taken out of context:

• Matthew 5:39: If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer them the other. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 20:16: The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 5:43-44: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. If you say so, Jesus...
• Mark 10:25: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 5:5:  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. If you say so, Jesus...
• Mark 11:23:  I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. If you say so, Jesus...
• Luke 5:10: Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 6:34:  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. If you say so, Jesus...

I hope you get my point. If the Jesus you are being taught about sounds passive and normal, or seems like he would make perfect sense in our world today, then someone is deceiving you. If he sounds like like a businessman interested in prosperity and patriotism, someone is trying to sell you something. If he seems like the kind of guy who puts his own needs first and thinks the poor should take care of themselves, then you have the wrong guy. The real Jesus calls us to be abnormal, to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. He seems so "out there," which is why the modern church has spent so much time focusing on the "thou shalt nots" and so little time trying to follow his example. The church wants to appear normal to the rest of the world when we are called to be anything but normal. So be radical. Let the world know you don't need proof, you have faith. And when Jesus calls us, no matter where he says to go or what he says to do, we'll know what to say. If you say so, Jesus...I will follow you.  

Because of Jesus,