Jesus was the MOST RUTHLESS Man that ever Lived! Of the 15 times [KJV] the English word "lose" appears in the New Testament, 14 of them were Spoken by Jesus Christ Himself! And of the times He was referring to a man's soul ["life"], I have recorded them below:
Matt 10:39 (KJV) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Matt 16:25,26 (KJV) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mark 8:35,36 (KJV) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Luke 9:24,25 (KJV) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Luke 17:33 (KJV) Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
John 12:25 (KJV) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Seems to Follow Jesus Christ is CERTAIN DEATH! And not just that, but the UTTER LOSS & ABANDONMENT ["forsaking"] of everything "else" ["other"]... in the meantime!
Matt 13:44 (KJV) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Matt 18:25 (KJS) But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Luke 14:33 (KJV) So likewise, whosoever he be of you >>that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple<<. 34 Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
When two people are married, they take a vow; that is, they BOND themselves [and their lives] together - and, along with "all their worldly goods, do endow the other". They become "common", or "one-with" each other. They are no longer two, but "ONE"! But how? The key is this phrase, "...forsaking all OTHERS"!
Some time ago, while I was meandering through God's Living Word with Him, we stopped for a respite at a little-known "Garden-Spot" He Knows of. The air was sweet and rarified there; moist, fragile, yet tangy with Zest of a Verve I'd never noticed. Part was because I was with Him this time [as I had been by that place - never noticing - before...]; but there was a Sense about the place that seized me; held me firm; made me pay Attention! It was as though all my faculties were Tuned and Readied and Keen for the Moment. The Place? Christ's Transfiguration. Somehow, I was there - with- the Lord!
All I Heard were these Words... "SEE BUT JESUS ONLY!"
Since that time, I've come to Learn that Christ IS Revelation. And that keeping our eyes focused-on Him is the very Work of Believing [on] Him He refers to as THE Work of the Kingdom!
John 6:28 (KJV) Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
How does a husband [wife] "forsake all others"? By becoming completely immersed [swallowed-up] in each other! It is by LOSING self in another that love Gives Itself away - and gains it's Own Beloved!
All "holy men" are "madmen"! That is, anyone who is "betrothed" no longer belongs-to-himself. This was a very important point to Jesus Christ! We miss this at the cost of our Re(A)l-ationship-with Him!
God is a Jealous Lover! He makes this painfully Evident to His Beloved in His entire History as recorded in the Bible. Jesus Speaks of this "madness" [God's Light-in-man, as seen by the world] in;
Matt 5:14 (KJV) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
John 8:12 (KJV) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 9:5 (KJV) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 15:19 (KJV) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
John 17:14-16 (KJV) I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
If we were to ask every Christian in-the-world today whether or not they "feel" [or think of themselves as] "other-World-ly", how many would we really expect to answer in the affirmative? And if they did, what would we suppose their "fellows", or contemporaries would have to say about them? - that they were "mad"? But are we really to believe & think & act as though we do not belong-to this world? And if so, how? - in what way(s)?
Jesus Says we must forsake all "others" for Him. But there is one "other" which, though not "other" to us, is, nevertheless, to Christ!: SELF! Therefore, the Lord Says simply, "Forsake ALL!" It is only in self-abandonment we truly Repent of this world & obey our Lord's Command...
Matt 22:(21) (KJV) ...Then saith Jesus unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
Our mortal life ["coin"] is "stamped-with" the "image" or "icon" of the prince of this world ["Caesar"]. Do we "prefer" this "darkness/death" to Christ's "Light/Life"? ...or will we "forsake all that we have" - "lose our life" - and so, "render both to God AND "Caesar" Their Own? Jesus made it clear that we are to DENY our self in/by taking up OUR cross [as Led by the Holy Spirit, Daily!] - if we are to Follow Him (as Disciples). [Lk 9:23]
"See but Jesus ONLY!" But for this we need "eyes that see", & "ears that hear"! The whole subject of "seeing/hearing" is the topic of Revelation, Spiritual discernment, or vision [without which God Says we "perish"!]. This was the FIRST Word of God's Command-Re(A)l-ationship with-Him in;
Deut 6:4 (KJV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:"
But that Word, "Hear!" in the Hebrew means, "Stop!, Look!, Listen!" - or "HEED!", or "Pay ATTENTION!". Jesus too stresses this often;
Matt 11:15 (KJV) He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matt 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matt 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark 7:16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Luke 8:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Luke 14:35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; [but] men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Indeed, Jesus Says that it is this very ability that Characterize His Sheep! John 10:27 (KJV) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: But to "Follow" means to Obey! And so, we find that this Hebrew Word for "Hear" ALSO means to Obey [what you've Heard/Seen!]. After all, a sheep is no "part-of" that Shepherd it will not FOLLOW & OBEY... right?
Some there are that are sure that the number "13" is Biblically symbolic of "rebellion, apostasy, defection, disintegration, revolution"... in other words, "apocalypse"! Well, in many ways I would agree, as I have been shown that it also means "Revelation & Mystery". And, as such, it also carries with it the intention of Judgment - that is, "payday"; "harvest-time"; or "day of visitation"! In keeping with this theme, I would like to look at the 13th Chapter of Mark.
The Object of this Chapter is not merely Christ's Characterization of the "last days" as He had just been teaching inside the Temple [Lk 21]... but of His Solemn Warnings to "WATCH!". His Key [in my opinion] is found in verse 5:
Mark 13:5 (KJV) And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any [man] deceive you: The Divine-Implication couldn't be any clearer: ("Watch[out], O Israel - or be deceived by men!"].
God Is One - so must we be-come; with-in Him!
Look at the very first words of this Text:
Mark 13:1 (KJV) And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings [are here]!"
They wanted their Master to "see"... and Jesus "turns the table on them" and uses this opportunity for His most pronounced Exhortation to "WATCH!" [or else!]. He "pre-warns" them - in advance. Watch how Jesus turns the topic back to His Own Body;
Mark 13:2 (KJV) And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Will they "look-out-for" His Body rather-than [forsaking] the outward forms of man's religion - or will they be deceived-by those same, worldly "others"?
The "I-AM-Incarnate" was about to Evacuate His Carnal Temple (Body) by Dying in His Flesh to the sins of this world. The "Shakan-Jah" was about to "depart" ["Icabod"]. Only this time the whole Creation would Shudder at His Loss! Would his Disciples be watching? Would they "take heed!"? And further, would they then "remain until they were endued from on High with the Power of the Holy Spirit of God Himself"? And would they then Walk-with-[in]-God, even as God had now [in-Christ] Walked with-[in]-man? This was all "other-Worldly" - all "Manna from Heaven" - "Daily Bread". Would they have "eyes to see; ears to hear"; hearts that were opened; minds that were His? Would they actually "forsake all" for Him?
Revelation is God's Reality as my Vision! God Himself is my Inheritance - He Promised that! He Said that He would CAUSE me to Love & Obey & Follow & Know & Fear Him! He told me that He would Teach me all this - Personally! He Said He would "Tabernacle-WITH" me... that He would Make me His Own - that He would Love & Protect & Keep me! But He also Said that He would have to Clean me up! That He would have to Discipline me - and Train me in the Way that I should Grow!
Sometimes a Ruthless Shepherd is Harsh - especially when it comes to my stubborn sheep-ness! And then, too, I don't always SEE "all", even if I am supposed to "forsake ALL"! But then, I guess that's when the Trust comes in - eh? And all that's Possible in the same proportion as I KNOW Him - huh? And then, that sorta Develops as I Come-UNTO Him - right? And then, there's my studies-with Him - no?
It's easy to know who's OF-God when you have your eyes on Him [& not the world]. Discernment is a matter of "with-NESS". I don't have to worry about what the Lord's Looking after - providing - "I'm with Him!" But remaining-WITH Him... IS my "look-out", because I tend [like all sheep] to WANDER AWAY! What?? Is this a NEW thing? Does God not KNOW this? Not at all! The Bible is FULL of just such defections - and stubbornness, or willfulness; God call is "Idolatry!".
Fasting, waiting, shunning ["eschewing"] is all a part of our Development - as Disciples! And it's some of the hardest of all of God's Lessons for His Children. But it does tend unto Maturity, now - huh?
Folks usually get married... to have KIDS! That is, to Bear Fruit! But this is a very deep subject; Paul calls it a Mystery - the Mystery of Christ's Body [Bride]. But I must say, the whole "issue" of "cloning" was never in ANY vocabulary [lexicon] till this century (tho this is quite common in Nature!].
"Forsaking all others" means "becoming ONE-With"... for whatever "END" God Has in Mind! Is that O.K. with YOU? [It certainly is with me!]
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