Would you REALLY??

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I've often wondered about Jesus calling the disciples to "follow Me"....and they did it. They didn't stop to question what they were getting into or where they were going or what was going to happen to their families. If these were normal people, wouldn't they have asked a few questions? <img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I mean, Abraham got called by God to leave Ur, but he didn't just up and leave all his belongings and the responsibilities of being a husband/father/master. Why is Jesus in the New Testament telling people to leave everything and everyone else?

Could anyone here leave, and I mean absolutely ABANDON, their family for Jesus? Would you really? []http://img.inkfrog.com/pix/Rudywoofs/icon_confused.gif[/]

[Robert]

Context:

Matt 10:21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved....34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.

The gospel divides - it goes against human nature. Let's say someone is taking a test and I tell him, "You can't pass, I must take the test for you. You can't even help me 1/10 of 1%. I must do it all for you. The only thing you can do is to accept my gift for you."

What would happen? He would be insulted.

The gospel insults good, moral people. They say, "Yes, I make mistakes but I can get credit for good behavior." But the gospel says no, you are totally bankrupt of saving yourselves even partially. Hence it causes division.

If we chose Christ the world [maybe our own mother/father, sister/brother, etc] will hate us. Hence we must make Him # 1....

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

So are you saying you WOULD turn your back on your family?

Or are you saying it is only the substance of relationships that would need to be abandoned? (i.e., instead of loving you, your friends/family would hate you)

[]http://img.inkfrog.com/pix/Rudywoofs/headscratch.gif[/]

[Robert]

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rudywoofs said:So are you saying you WOULD turn your back on your family?

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The Scriptures makes it sound like family can turn its back on the one who makes Jesus # 1 instead of the other way around.

Rob

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I was wondering if my question would be dodged.

This kinda reminds me of a campmeeting Saturday night program last summer where the speaker made an altar call (I think that's what they're called) for people who never had received Christ to come down to the front. As a newly baptized Christian, I was properly astounded that nearly EVERYONE trotted down the aisle. A pastor's wife grabbed my arm and asked me if I didn't want to go down to the front as well. I told her, No...I had already declared myself to be a Christian - and I got a funny look in return. All I could think of, was "whoa...all these people were supposed to be Christians, and now it looks like they weren't?" That boggled my mind. Still does. []http://img.inkfrog.com/pix/Rudywoofs/icon_confused.gif[/]

[Michelle]

Pam--this is a difficult question to answer. I think it depends on how you view the word "abandon" as you worded it.

I'll use my family as an example. We live on the other side of the world from all of our families. In a sense, we have abandoned them. In the oriental way of looking at families (of which Jesus was a part) to leave your elderly parents is an abandonment. We have thought long and hard about this, as have all who are called to be cross-cultural missionaries outside of their country. Have we turned our backs on our families? Not in the sense that we have no communication with them. But you talk to my mom or MIL and ask them if they feel abandoned by us--I don't know what answer they'd give, but I know there are times they do feel that way.

Now, would I leave my immediate family? That is a hard question, because Jesus hasn't asked me to do it. He asked at least one, as we know Peter was married, for at least a time, but we don't know how many of the disciples were married and if they had to "permanently" leave their families. Ellen White left her family for long periods of time, letting other people raise her children. To me, this seems irresponsible. Was she called to do this? Apparently.

I don't know that this answers the question--but it's what I've come up with in my life.

M

[Gail]

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I've often wondered about Jesus calling the disciples to "follow Me"....and they did it. They didn't stop to question what they were getting into or where they were going or what was going to happen to their families. If these were normal people, wouldn't they have asked a few questions?

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I have pondered this very thing. I sure like your questions!!! <img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

What my thoughts are on this are: What kind of person was Jesus, that people would drop everything to follow him? I think that there was something so extraordinary about him and his teaching, to cause the poor, the sick, the outcasts, to flock to see him.

It also speaks to me of the true character of God, for Jesus is his express image (their characters are the same, like father, like son). Our Heavenly Father is Someone who we would drop everything to take advantage of His visit, because of His love and concern for those who are forsaken and broken in spirit and simple in faith

Jesus' message of a Saviour with power to save us from our sins (as opposed to the Rescuer from earthly governments) and the power he has to transform lives is certainly great stuff to those who are heart-weary

:2cents:

[Yong T Tay]

A man of a certain culture or religion, say, a Jew or Muslim or Hindu, suddenly became a Christian. He would be considered a traitor or outcast by his own people, his relatives, his own family and his father, mother, brothers, sisters, wife or children. He had shamed and betrayed them. He was no longer accepted by them.

He had only two options: One to give up Christ and be at peace with them and to regain their favours. Two to stand firm in accepting Christ even at the point of death. He did not abandon them. They abandoned him because he appeared to love Christ more than them.

[LifeHiscost]

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rudywoofs said:

Could anyone here leave, and I mean absolutely ABANDON, their family for Jesus? Would you really?

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I say with assurance, Pam, with God's grace I would if I knew my family were opposed to God's plan of salvation. In fact, for the most part that is a reality in my life. But I'm not altogether sure this was God's original plan for me, as my early decisions for following Christ were somewhat immature as a result of a lack of knowledge.

The reason I say this is because after making my decision for Christ, which had the affect of separating me from my family, I ran into further info that brought doubts about whether in receiving Jesus, I went to some extremes He may not have required. Here's one of those principles.

[:"red"] "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." [/] 1 Tim 5:8 KJV

It was never wrong to receive Jesus when I did. Trying to second guess a decision that was made with only partial knowledge would seem to me to disbelieve the Holy Spirit incapable of giving good leadership until we knew the fulness of Scripture Truth, which would effectively exclude

all of the human race, if it were true.

However, we may go through some trial as a result of running ahead of the Lord in our zeal. Not all are called in exactly the same way. An example___

[:"red"] "And the man from whom the demons had gone forth was beseeching of him to be with him, and Jesus sent him away, saying,

`Turn back to thy house, and tell how great things God did to thee;' and he went away through all the city proclaiming how great things Jesus did to him. " [/] Luke 8:38-40

YLT

There is also this to consider___

[:"red"] "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Because you have rejected knowledge,I also will reject you from being My priest Since you have forgotten the law of your God,I also will forget your children.

" [/] Hosea 4:6 NASB

Notice there is a definite reason for some suffering by God's people in lacking knowledge. They had rejected it. When I was young in the faith, I cannot say I was faultless in obeying what I knew God was asking of me. My hope now is this___

[:"red"] "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"

[/] 1 John 2:1 KJV

[:"red"] "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." [/] John 3:17 KJV

<img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/DOVE.gif" alt="" />

Keep looking up!!

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

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That is a hard question, because Jesus hasn't asked me to do it.

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I know my question was difficult. I appreciate the willingness to try and answer! <img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

LHC, thank you for the direct response to my very direct question. It brightened my rather blighted view that I seem to have of Christian earnestness atm. []http://img.inkfrog.com/pix/Rudywoofs/cool_shades.gif[/]

[LifeHiscost]

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rudywoofs said:

LHC, thank you for the direct response to my very direct question.

It brightened my rather blighted view that I seem to have of Christian earnestness atm. []http://img.inkfrog.com/pix/Rudywoofs/cool_shades.gif[/]

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Your welcome, for what it's worth. If it brought relief from the Word, it's definitely a gift from God. And it was my pleasure to be the messenger.

It seems we each must find our own way, to some degree. But it's nice to feel our Father is standing close by so that when we exercise our free will, He has a soft place for us to fall.

[:"red"] "For every man shall bear his own burden."

[/] Gal 6:5

<img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/DOVE.gif" alt="" />

God Bless!

[cleverdics]

Actually it seems as though Jesus asked them to leave their families, but in reality they didn't. Paul says:

1Co 7:20 Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called.

So if you are married, stay married and care for your family. In fact the whole of 1 Cor 7 gives me the picture that we are to trust God in all of these things. If we are SDA when called, stay SDA, Baptist, stay Baptist, married, not married, curmumsiced, uncircumcised, blond, red head. <img src="/adventist/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I think Jesus is saying, put the Kingdom of God first. First is not everything, just first.

[Clio]

I have done so.

That's why we are in Alaska. I wrote a manuscript detailing our journey, and where it has taken us. The portion that deals with leaving the lower 48 and coming here is titled "A Modern Abraham's Journey".

So... the short answer is "Yes."