Seguir a Jesus
Seguir a Jesus é o convite mais transformador da Bíblia. Jesus chamou pescadores, cobradores de impostos e pessoas comuns para deixar tudo e segui-lo. Esse chamado continua vivo hoje.
O chamado de Jesus
Jesus disse: 'Segue-me'. Esse convite simples e poderoso mudou a vida de pescadores, publicanos e pessoas comuns ao longo da história.
"Come and follow me, and I will teach you how to catch people," he told them. They left their nets immediately and followed him.
As Jesus moved on from there he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth. Jesus called to him, "Follow me!" He got up, and followed Jesus.
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Jesus found Philip there, and told him, "Follow me."
While they were walking, one man told Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go!"
Jesus told the man, "Foxes have their dens, and wild birds have their nests, but the Son of man doesn’t even have a place to rest his head."
He told another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Master, first let me go home and bury my father."
"Let the dead bury their own dead," Jesus replied. "You go and proclaim God’s kingdom."
Another man said, "Lord, I will follow you! But first let me go home and say goodbye to my family."
But Jesus told him, "Nobody once they’ve started plowing and then looks back is fit for God’s kingdom."
O custo do discipulado
Seguir a Jesus exige renúncia. É preciso tomar a cruz diariamente, deixar tudo para trás e amar a Cristo acima de qualquer outro vínculo.
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If you want to be a follower of mine, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.
"If you want to follow me but you don’t hate your father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters—even your own life—you can’t be my disciple. If you don’t carry your cross and follow me, you can’t be my disciple.
Peter spoke up, "We’ve left everything to follow you…"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "anyone who has left behind their home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands because of me, and for the sake of the good news, will receive in return in due course a hundred times as many homes and brothers and sisters and children and lands—as well as persecution. In the world to come they will receive eternal life. However, many of the first will be last, and the last first."
Caminhar com Cristo
Quem segue a Jesus não anda em trevas, mas tem a luz da vida. Ele nos convida a crescer nele e a servir como Ele serviu.
Jesus spoke again to the people, telling them, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me you won’t walk in darkness for you will have the life-giving light."
If you want to serve me you need to follow me. My servants will be where I am, and my Father will honor anyone who serves me.
In fact this is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and gave you an example, so you should follow in his footsteps. He never sinned, he never lied; and when he was badly treated, he didn’t retaliate. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten to take revenge. He simply placed himself in the hands of the one who always judges rightly.
Instead by speaking the truth in love we ought to grow up in everything into Christ, who is our head.
Do what I tell you and keep my rules. I am the Lord your God.