What “Following Jesus” Is … and Is Not. – Eugene Peterson

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:24 pm by Robert C. Crosby

What “Following Jesus” Is … and Is Not. – Eugene Peterson 2015-03-13T23:24:31-04:00 Robert C. Crosby

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“I like the prayer of Thomas – ‘my Lord and my God.’ …This prayer keeps us ready for surprises; it keeps us alert to Jesus who rules our lives as Lord and commands our worship as God. Following Jesus is not a skill we acquire so that we can be useful to the Kingdom and it’s not a privilege that we’re let into so that the Kingdom can be useful to us. It’s obedience – ‘my Lord’ – and it’s worship – ‘my God.’

No matter how much we know, we don’t know enough to know what Jesus is going to do next. And no matter how familiar we are with the traditions and customs and privileges that go with being on God’s side, we aren’t familiar enough to know how Jesus fits into it or what Jesus is going to do with it.

Following Jesus is not a skill we acquire. Following Jesus is not a strategy we work out. It is obedience – ‘my Lord.’ It is worship – ‘my God.’ No religious skills that you and I acquire will ever produce resurrection. No spiritual strategies that we work on will ever produce resurrection. Following Jesus doesn’t get us where we want to go; it gets us where Jesus wants us to go.

Practice resurrection. Pray with Thomas – ‘my Lord and my God.'”

From … Following Jesus – Obedience

by Eugene Peterson (An Audio Teaching on the Leadership Style of Caiaphas)

cf., John 20:28

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