Cross of Christ Lutheran Church

“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.”  Luke 5:10b-11

Leaving has been and will always be something that God’s people do.  Even before the fall man received his first lesson in leaving.  In Genesis 2 we’re told that God made man and woman in His own image.  And then in verse 24 God says to Adam: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

Leaving.  It’s why a man marries a woman.  It’s why a child goes off to college.  It’s why God says to Abram in Genesis 12:  Leave your house, your friends, your family and go to a land that I will show you.  It’s why a family of five, plus a dog named Husker, (I married into that one) would leave there home of eight years to go to a new place to start a new church.

Through this exciting experience of planting a new church I’ve been reminded that as Christians we are meant to be a people on the move – constantly sent by God to the world.  Now while this sometimes means picking up and moving to a new place, it doesn’t always have to.  You can live in the same place your whole life and still be called to leave.

You see, leaving is all about following Jesus.  “‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’  At once they left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4:19-20)

Leaving.  It has been and will always be something that God’s people do.

Now you may have noticed that Matthew’s record of Jesus calling His first disciples says they “left their nets and followed Him”, while Luke says they “left everything and followed.”   In both cases the disciples discover that following Jesus means leaving behind certain things.  Things like control, comfort, even certain expectations about how we think life should be lived.

Take a moment to consider what you might be holding on to that’s keeping you from following where Jesus is leading.  Ask God to give you the strength to leave it behind and follow Him.  Trust me.  You won’t be disappointed.

Father in heaven, we thank You for loving us.  In fact, You loved us so much that You sent Your one and only Son.  Jesus left heaven to come to earth – to suffer, to die, and to rise again.  Help us, Lord God, to deny ourselves – to leave it all behind.  Give us the strength to take up our crosses and follow You.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.