Volume 48 - No. 48
By Friedrich Gomez
The time-worn adage: “Easier said than done,” always seems to apply to someone else and never to ourselves. This is a common inclination born of human egotism. It’s easy to say we would’ve followed Jesus in his rebellious behavior over two thousand years ago, but in reality, we may not have. His loyal disciples who ate, slept, and lived with him and believed him to be the Hebrew Messiah, still scattered and deserted him during his greatest moments of The The Paper Paper -- 760.747.7119 760.747.7119
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November 29, 2018
need. Would you have fared any better? Would your faith have been mightier than that of his loyal disciple, Simon Peter, whom Jesus called “The Rock”?
If Jesus were here today, and beckoned you to leave your family, your wife, your husband, your children, and cherished loved ones – would you deny yourself, and follow him? Suddenly, the time-worn phrase, “Easier said than done,” takes on new meaning. The phrase suddenly challenges us into a deeply profound discus-
sion of who we are today, and how – if any – we have changed as human beings over the course of twenty-one centuries.
The question of whether Christians today would truly follow the historical Jesus and his revolutionary ways is an irresistible ‘feeding trough’ for contemporary pastors and ministers to sermonize over. It is a most fantastic conception with enormous implications. The debate and painful soul-searching it forces Christians to experience, is a requirement of their
faith: “How much do you love your Christ, and to what end would you sacrifice for him?”
It is surprising to note that many Christians initially are recorded to be steadfast and adamant in expressing their unswerving loyalty to their Christ, stating that they would have followed him during the time that he lived. However, upon deeper reflection of the danger in which Jesus lived and rebelled, these same Christians refine and, sometimes, retract their carte blanche remarks.
The Elusive Jesus - See Page 2