Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- jn_en_2018_10_23 [2018/10/23 15:25] – potthast
+++ jn_en_2018_10_23 [2018/10/23 15:39] (current) – potthast
@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 </color> (Matthew 9, 9)
+You should look up the passage - this request of Jesus to follow is not directly linked to the
+parts given before. It seems to come out of nowhere! That is an important question, we should ask
+here: what is the framework for getting to know God? When is it we are prepared to follow Jesus?
 {{ 2018:2018_10_23_2.jpg}}
@@ Line 39: / Line 42: @@
 ** Why and How? ...**
+Why would you follow Jesus at all? Why would you follow anyone? Sometimes it seems to us that
+following individual people on this earth only happens in circumstances of abuse! And it is
+a good point, a sincere warning. You should have good reasons to follow any particular person
+on this planet!
+But there is also the other question. What is it that keeps you from following Jesus? Today it
+is clear that he is not any more someone who could abuse you. He died 2000 years ago, and if you
+follow him, if it is true you follow the risen Lord. In the worst case you follow an illusion.
+So the point I am heading for here is: you should have good reasons to follow Jesus. You should
+be clearly aware of why you want to follow him. If it has become clear to you, that he is more
+than a gifted speaker who lived long ago, you have started to explore good reasons. Yet, it still
+needs to be very clear to you: he is the one who I want to be with.
+How do you follow him today? To a good extent it is easier than for Matthew: you can stay in
+your profession and in your job, at least that applies to most of us. But on the spiritual side,
+it is quite similar. It is about discovering that only God can be the foundation of our life,
+that only his beauty and purity, his mercy and love, his truth and clarity, are a good basis
+for our decisions, for our heart, for our own love, for our presence and future. Only in him,
+in his power and foregiveness, we have a source for cleaning up our own life!
+How to follow? It starts with your personal prayer. It is something between you and God. You
+have to tell him. You have to talk to him, and to listen to him. It is you and you alone. And of
+course, there is community - the community of believers, the Christian church. There are
+brothers and sisters in faith, so many of them, very different individuals. God will show you
+some you can link up with, I am sure!
 (Roland Potthast)
 [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/en/topics_collection_ix|... further texts]]