Prior to Jesus’ death, he prayed for his followers, asking his Father to to keep them from the evil one, while they remained in the world, although they, like Jesus, are not of the world (John 17:15-16). Throughout the history of Christianity, Jesus’ prayer has resulted in Christians living very differently, ranging from those who removed themselves completely from society, the hermits and monks living in monasteries, to those who live to transform society into a Christian Kingdom. Throughout history, followers of Jesus, have had to struggle with how to live in this world and keep their hearts focused on Jesus.
Since Jesus himself did not remove himself from the Jewish society in which he was born, he becomes a model for the way that we are called to live. However, like Jesus’ values differed from the status quo of first century Jewish society, our values should also reflect that what Jesus taught and not how society lives.
When I was a student at San Jose State University, a Christian musician, Keith Green, came to speak and play his music at a nearby Bible College, San Jose Bible College. Several friends and I went to hear him speak and play. His music and words impacted my life and subsequent decisions. About that time, he had released his second album, No Compromise, whose songs were written in collaboration with his wife Melody. Those songs described a life lived in total commitment to Jesus, without compromise. To say the least, Keith’s music and message were intense, which at times caused me some discomfort. However, his message did ring true. We are to live our lives with a total commitment, even abandonment, to Jesus. One of the songs on that album was entitled “Make My Life A Prayer To You”. The song reflects a desire to live a life without compromise, that reflects who Jesus is and a focus on Jesus and not ourselves, that last part is quite challenging by the way.
Several years after I heard Keith in San Jose, he perished in a plane crash, but his message, like the Gospel, did not. Recently, I started listening his music once again and was reminded of that passionate message he gave to us students so many years ago. I reflected on how easy it is to get distracted from the life Jesus calls us to, distracted by both the challenges and the good things in this life. I am thankful for the reminder that he sang in his song, that Jesus is “patient with me, oh its so hard to see when my eyes are on me”. Following Jesus is not a one time decision, but is a series of decisions to keep following Him. So how do you maintain that easily diminished passion for Jesus? Well, don’t be afraid to hang around a few people like Keith Green.
