WHY DO I FOLLOW JESUS?

 Thursday 21 January 2021

Second Week in Ordinary Time 

Hebrews 7:25—8:6 (He offered sacrifice once for all when He offered Himself).

Mark 3:7-12

There could be dozens of answers to questions such as Why are you a Christian? Or Who is Jesus Christ to you? One question for our reflection based on today’s Gospel passage would be this: Why do I follow Jesus Christ? Expressed differently, Why am I attracted to Jesus Christ? We hear in the Gospel, thus: ‘“[Jesus] told disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He  had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known”’(Mark 2: 10-12).

These people had come from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. 

WHY WERE THEY FOLLOWING JESUS? The people were following Jesus for miracles, that’s why they were pressing upon Him to touch Him to get healed. But Jesus got into the boat to keep some distance from them, because He LOVED them. He wanted them to understand and follow something deeper than the miracles he was performing: HIS GOOD NEWS OF THEIR SALVATION FOR WHICH JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD. As John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). 

We follow Jesus for various reasons such as salvation, healing, prosperity, blessings and protection. Sometimes Jesus doesn’t seem to be present in our lives according to our expectations. We urgently want things from Christ, pray about them, and ask Him to grant our prayers. But He doesn’t seem to answer the prayers. In such moments, some people try to fill that gap between them and Christ with a spiritual leader. They cling to the person for prayers, blessings and protection from evil forces. No wonder why some people put stickers on their vehicles which read “THIS CAR IS PROTECTED BY SO AND SO”, a person, rather than JESUS. Let’s pause for a moment. How can a man/woman of God who also needs Jesus’s protection provide you with such protection? This is a serious joke! A terrible illusion. A man/woman of God doesn’t have such powers; they cannot protect your vehicle, except praying for you. 

FURTHER, we may be attracted by the good preaching of a spiritual leader, their gifts of healing, their singing talent, their generosity, their humility, and other qualities. Yet, ultimately, the GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION should be the reason why we believe in Jesus, or go to church, or follow the man/woman of God.

Jesus didn’t use any type of megaphone to call the crowds to come for healing. They heard about Him and followed wherever He went. He sternly warned the people from whom He cast out unclean spirits not to make Him known. He didn’t seek popularity, a passing thing. What he wanted was to give them life to the fullest (eternal life). As He says in John’s Gospel, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly [to the fullest]” (John 10:10). THIS, I SUBMIT, IS WHY WE FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST.

Lord, may we follow Christ for the right reasons for us to enter your Kingdom. Amen.