“Ah, you came so close…” How many times have we heard that in our lives while in pursuit of getting the job we wanted most, of winning a game we love to play, of going the extra mile to win the race or achieve a goal we set for ourselves? 

In my youth, I remember hearing slick, carnival barkers shout, “ah, you came so close, try again” as they lured us to play their games of chance at the state fair.  The games were rigged in ways to allow you to come close to winning so that it kept you playing the game. (Mm, our enemy plays those games with our minds, too!)

As we work hard to achieve the life goals we set for ourselves, using all the resources we have at hand, leaning on others to help and encourage us, we do not want to hear, “ah, you came so close”.  Rather, we want to achieve our goal.  It’s what humans do, right?  But are missing the point of life?  Are we coming close but not quite getting it?

Luke 9, The Message

Your Business Is Life

^43-44 While they continued to stand around exclaiming over all the things he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Treasure and ponder each of these next words: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into human hands.”

⁴⁵ They didn’t get what he was saying. It was like he was speaking a foreign language and they couldn’t make heads or tails of it. But they were embarrassed to ask him what he meant.

^46-48 They started arguing over which of them would be most famous. When Jesus realized how much this mattered to them, he brought a child to his side. “Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me,” he said. “And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.”

⁴⁹ John spoke up, “Master, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t of our group.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “Don’t stop him. If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally.”

^51-54 When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?”

^55-56 Jesus turned on them: “Of course not!” And they traveled on to another village.

⁵⁷ On the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.

⁵⁸ Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”

Jesus said to another, “Follow me.”

⁵⁹ He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.”

⁶⁰ Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”

⁶¹ Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.”

⁶² Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus presents a new perspective concerning the “business of life.”  Jesus teaches new ways of thinking and behaving in a race He sets before us, a race we will win if we follow what He says as our “life coach.”  “Follow Me,” Jesus simply says, “no turning back, just follow Me.”  No, “yeah, buts,” just follow.  Life eternal is the end goal. (Maybe “reverse engineering” might help.)

Jesus teaches The Twelve, and others who want to follow, a valuable lesson that is a matter of life or death.  “Treasure and ponder each of these next words:  The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into human hands,” says Jesus to his beloved.  But, how did they respond? –With a quarrel over who is the greatest!  Ah, guys, you came so close…

They didn’t get what Jesus was saying and didn’t ask questions.  Instead, they chose ignorance as a backup plan and argued like children over who would be the greatest in God’s Kingdom.  There is a distinct difference in being childish and childlike in our faith and Jesus makes that point clearly with a child He takes by the hand.  Ah, you came so close…  (Sigh.) 

Friends, do we do this?  Do we miss the point by not asking questions about what we do not understand?  Do we decide to fall back on our own ways of getting ahead in the world?  Are we too lazy to take time to ponder and treasure the very words of Jesus to us?  We must admit; we are “famous” for procrastinating Jesus’ message of being and doing with God first because it seems hard so we ignore it all together.  (Ouch)

Blame games with other childish behaviors easily surface when we come close to following Jesus but make excuses to not follow so that we can accomplish our own will as opposed to His will. 

“I’ve got to take care of business first.”

“That other guy is doing stuff but he is not one of us.”

“That town was rude to us, let’s incinerate it!”

“I’ll be right there…after the funeral business.”

Jesus responds, “Your ‘business’ is Life.” I am reminded a beautiful, comforting conversation between Jesus and His closest followers recorded in the gospel of John.  Thomas begins the conversation, not so much doubting, but with a compassionate cry of his heart to know more.  Jesus’ disciples have put aside self to seek truth and ask questions seeking understanding.  Listen in on the conversation…

“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 6:5-14, NIV

Our response?

Believe and be saved. 

Ask questions when we do not understand and receive answers from the King of kings and Lord of lords. 

“Ponder and treasure” what He says to us for His words give Life and set us free from the bondage of sin with discernment to avoid the slick traps of evil.  Peace comes, the kind only Jesus can give. 

Trust and obey for there’s no other way…

Ah, now we get it!  The closer we get to Jesus, the closer we come to thinking and responding to life like Him who is Life!  To God be the glory!

Lord,

Thank you for showing us the Way to Truth that give Life every single day. Thank you for saving our souls by cleansing our hearts.  Thank your for being the answer to all our Life questions.

In Jesus Name, Amen