No Longer My Concern

Yesterday I heard a rousing sermon on the cost of discipleship that illuminated the hardships and sufferings one must be willing to undergo as a follower of Christ. My heart was inspired to cast aside any residual fear and hesitation and live with reckless abandon for His glory - and yet there was a small unwillingness in my spirit also. The sermon mingled a passage in Luke 14 with a scene in Revelation 19 to build a “Turn or Burn” message. The hearers of such a sermon were invited to see themselves as a part of the enemy army Jesus speaks of a few verses later in the same chapter of Luke. In servile fear we were to surrender to Jesus because He has the power to destroy us should we refuse.

Luke 14:26-27

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple."

Revelation 19:11-16

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” a He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Luke 14:31-32

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."

It was this picture of being Christ’s enemy and this servile fear that my heart could not agree to for I am seeking to please Him every day as I follow after Him and though I may indeed be a faltering follower, I cannot count myself His enemy.

St. Ignatius of Loyola pictures a king in the second week of his Spiritual Exercises inviting us to follow this king in his glorious adventures. This king cannot promise us ease but he promises to take the same hardships upon himself. Ignatius’ king speaks these words:

“Therefore, whoever would like to come with me is to be content to eat as I, and also to drink and dress, etc., as I: likewise he is to labor like me in the day and watch in the night, etc., that so afterwards he may have part with me in the victory, as he has had it in the labors.”

Ignatius imagines that our response to the king will not be one of servile fear but openheartedness, our loyalty springing from the worthiness of the king.

“consider what the good subjects ought to answer to a King so liberal and so kind, and hence, if any one did not accept the appeal of such a king, how deserving he would be of being censured by all the world, and held for a mean-spirited knight.”

It is the goodness of the king that inspires the noble response of his followers. Rather than seeing themselves as enemies of the king they see themselves as fortunate to have such a leader to whom they willingly pledge their loyalty.

Jesus in the Gospel of Luke was speaking to people who knew Him only as a worker of miracles, the feeder of thousands, flouter of oppressive authority, and the conquerer of demons. Perhaps His audience was zealous to follow because they desired all their problems and difficulties overcome supernaturally. Such disciples would be seeking their own gain, having a mercenary love that might easily cool when disillusioned.

Ignatius was writing to people after 1,500 years of church history had elapsed. His audience would have been familiar with the rejected Jesus, the suffering Jesus, and the crucified Jesus. Ignatius wanted to stir the hearts of Jesus’ followers to greater depths of self-surrender. With valiant hearts, Ignatius sees these followers not only willing to labor but acting against their own sensuality, carnal and worldly love to be of greater service. These followers pray thus:

“I want and desire, and it is my deliberate determination, if only it be Thy greater service and praise, to imitate Thee in bearing all injuries and all abuse and all poverty of spirit, and actual poverty, too, if Thy most Holy Majesty wants to choose and receive me to such life and state.”

Years ago when I first went through these Spiritual Exercises I wept imagining a scene like those told of the Revolutionary War where soldiers with bandaged feet left bloody footprints in the snow as they faithfully carried on following their commander in his and their joint cause for freedom. I wanted to be brave and willing like those soldiers, ungrumbling and heedless of my own suffering.

Yesterday as I pondered all of this a different response arose in my heart - a quieter, more detached and less melodramatic response - I heard the Spirit speak these words:

“That is no longer my concern”

Concerning myself with Jesus alone, I no longer concern myself with the seeking to maintain all my worldly relationships with solicitous care. Concerning myself with Jesus alone, I no longer concern myself with my health and well-being, my worldly success, my reputation… He is my King and can attend to these aspects of life, for He cares for me and I trust Him in all things to do what is best. My only concern is to follow Him closely and contribute what I can to His mission.

#discipleship #Beloved #surrender #ignatianspirituality