We live in a context where Christianity has become a global phenomenon, and it is true that not only has Christianity affected our world but that the world has also in many ways affected our faith. There exists a constant struggle to live in this world and not be conformed to it, and usually a very fine line separates the two.
Take the example of Jesse Duplantis, the prosperity gospel televangelist who told his followers that if Jesus was to descend from heaven and physically set foot on 21st century earth, he would probably pass on riding a donkey. According to Duplantis, Jesus would “be on an airplane preaching the Gospel all over the world”. He goes on further to add that he believes Jesus would not exactly settle for the regular leg room in the usual economy class airplane and further surmises: “Why would he choose anything less than the Falcon 7X, a private jet that nears the sound barrier but also has noise-limiting acoustic technology, a Bluetooth-enabled entertainment centre and an optional in-flight shower?” In asking his church members to generously donate to his latest wish list, he makes the audacious (and incredulous) claim that he is following in Jesus’ footsteps. And in a video, Duplantis said the planes get him closer to the Lord, both literally and figuratively, and he has had a divine conversation in which Jesus asked for the new aircraft by name.
Duplantis is not alone, as evidenced by similar appeals by other televangelists such as Crefo Dollar who initiated Project G650 as a means of getting a state-of-the-art Gulfstream G650 plane of his own, financed by his 200,000 followers. Accordingly, Dollar said he “needs one of the most luxurious private jets made today in order to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ”. More recently, an Instagram account PreachersNSneakers raised quite a few eyebrows and generated loads of discussions and questions when pictures of youth pastors wearing expensive shoes/sneakers were posted. The account featured posts of Christian mega church pastors wearing high-end sneakers and designer clothing, along with screenshots of their retail and/or resale price.
These are but two examples of the many ethical questions that are raised for those who are in ministry and profess to follow after the Person who was born in a stable and had no place to lay his head. What does following Jesus mean for us today? Can we follow Jesus on our own terms?
In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus was headed in the direction of Jerusalem when he encountered three would-be followers, and he used the occasion to speak about discipleship and the implications of following him. Jesus was unequivocal — contrary to the claims of such as Duplantis, Dollar or various other prosperity gospel pedlars — Jesus makes it blatantly obvious that there is no guarantee of repute, remuneration, respite or riches, but rebuke and rejection by the world for those who are intent on following him. The implication, of course, is that to follow Jesus is to experience life and death in the same way as he did.
We often think of discipleship as a response to Jesus’ call on our terms and we picture our giving up of our positions, possessions and prestige as a significant, if not tremendous, sacrifice. But Jesus’ call to follow him is not a call of conditional discipleship. Like one of the respondents in the passage, perhaps we seek to haggle with Jesus: “I will follow you but first let me get my university education”, “I will follow you Lord, but let me get my family settled comfortably”, or “I will follow you Lord, but first let me……” Jesus had a response for these conditional disciples — we simply cannot follow Jesus on our own terms. We can only follow Jesus on his terms. The demands of discipleship are indeed exacting. Jesus was and is asking for unconditional total surrender of control. “First I’ll do this, and then I’ll follow You” would not work for following Jesus. When he calls, he makes a demand not merely for some ‘loose change’ that we can spare, but his call to follow him is an exacting demand on every single aspect of our life. Clive Staples Lewis stridently states:
“Give me all of you! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want you! ALL OF YOU! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to kill it! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self — in My image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”
Cognizant of the fact that many Christians are still persecuted for their faith in Jesus all across the world and where their discipleship is marked by martyrdom, Christians must never forget that Jesus’ call to follow him is exacting — he calls us to follow him, in his life as well as in his death. Yet many have peddled a Gospel that has diluted the message of Christ to make it a little more ‘comfortable’, a little more ‘palatable’ and a little more ‘painless’. Discipleship is indeed costly and exacting. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in writing about the cost of discipleship puts it plainly, “When Christ calls a man (woman), He bids him(her) come and die”. It is a call to die to ourselves, our selfish desires and to find true life in Jesus and Jesus alone. Perhaps Christians in Singapore need to recapitulate the zeal of the bloodless martyrs, where their discipleship is marked by constant dying to one’s passions and desires. Only then can we sing without guile and with full conviction that “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back!”
TRUMPET | Word on World | Aug 2019
