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.
And he said to them, Come ye after me, and I shall make you to be made fishers of men.
And anon they left their nets, and pursued him.
And when Jesus passed from thence, he saw a man, Matthew by name, sitting in a tollbooth. And he said to him, Pursue thou me. And he rose, and followed him.
And on the morrow he would go out into Galilee, and he found Philip; and he saith to him, Pursue thou me.
And it was done, when they walked in the way, a man said to him, I shall pursue thee, whither ever thou [shalt] go.
And Jesus said to him, Foxes have dens [or ditches], and birds of the air have nests, but man’s Son hath not where he [shall] rest his head.
And he said to another, Pursue thou me. And he said, Lord, suffer me first to go, and bury my father.
And Jesus said to him, Suffer that dead men bury their dead men; but go thou, and tell the kingdom of God.
And another said, Lord, I shall pursue thee, but first suffer me to leave all things [or to tell to them] that be at home.
And Jesus said to him, No man that putteth his hand to the plough, and beholding backward, is able to the kingdom of God.
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 said to his disciples, If any man will come after me, deny he himself, and take his cross, and pursue me;
If any man cometh to me, and hateth not his father, and mother, and wife, and sons, and brethren, and sisters or sistren, and yet his own life, he may not be my disciple.
And he that beareth not his cross, and cometh after me, may not be my disciple.
And Peter began to say to him, Lo! we have left all things, and have pursued thee.
Jesus answered, and said, Truly I say to you, there is no man that leaveth house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or fields for me and for the gospel,
which shall not take an hundredfold so much now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields, with persecutions, and in the world to coming [or to come] everlasting life.
But many shall be, the first the last, and the last the 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.
Therefore again Jesus spake to them, and said, I am the light of the world; he that pursueth me, walketh not in darknesses, but shall have the light of life.
If any man serve me, pursue he me; and where I am, there my minister [or my servant] shall be. If any man serve me, my Father shall worship him.
For to this thing ye be called. For also Christ suffered for us, and left ensample to you, that ye follow the steps of him.
Which did not sin, neither guile was found in his mouth.
And when he was cursed, he cursed not; when he suffered, he menaced not; but he betook himself to him, that deemed him unjustly.
But do we truth in charity, and wax in him by all things, that is Christ our head;
Ye shall do my dooms, and ye shall keep my behests, and ye shall go in them; I am your Lord God.