Following Jesus is a demanding business especially if we are to take it seriously. It involves taking the road to Jerusalem, along with Jesus himself. Jerusalem is the city where Jesus suffered, died and rose to new life. It is a place of sacrifice and reward, of pain and joy, of failure and triumph, of agony and ecstasy. It represents the Christian life. But what does taking the road to Jerusalem actually mean in practice?
It means that we refuse to build our lives around material possessions. Material possessions have their place but they must be kept in their place. It is our relationship with God that is the true source of our satisfaction and security not what we own. Our relationship with God cannot be destroyed. It is eternal.
It means that we stop living in the past. Dwelling on old memories and hurts keeps us tied to the past and trapped in a prison of regret and anger. It belongs to the Christian to hope. Jesus is leading us forward in hope to a better and brighter future. In Jerusalem the tomb is empty.
It means that we stop making excuses for ourselves and for our lack of ability and talent. Of course we are limited; yes we have weaknesses. The Christian community is full of misfits! The people Jesus chose to bring his good news to the world were a pretty motley bunch! Jesus is not looking for perfection; neither does he expect us to be geniuses. All he seeks is our generosity and enthusiasm. What Jesus wants is what we call heart. Heart is the kind of thing that on the sports field often makes the difference between failure and success.
Finally, it means that when it comes to making choices we put the cause of Jesus, the mission of Jesus, the work of Jesus, first. In the way we choose to live our lives the values of Jesus, known as Kingdom values, must come before earthly values.
During Lent our Christian lives take on a greater urgency. It is the time when we are invited to travel with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem.