Whose disciple are you?

Matthew 14:1-12

Whose disciple are you?  Being a disciple is very much in keeping with my understanding that all people are religious, now their religion may be boating, sports, fishing, golf, or some religious group, it may even be politics, but everyone is religious about something, even the atheist.  In the same way, most are followers of someone, it may be their job, their family, their church, or some form of entertainment, but just about everyone is a disciple of someone or some thing.  How often have you heard someone say, that is the pastor of my church, or I listen each Sunday to _________ on T.V. 

The old is forever new, and in the time Jesus walked on planet earth in human form most every Jew had a Pharisee or teacher that they followed, so when John the Baptist came on the scene and God was using him to call His people to repentance, it was not long until men attached themselves to John and they became followers of John or his disciples.  And some of these same men began to follow Jesus after John’s death.

Matthew gives us this account of John’s death he was beheaded on orders from Herod the tetrarch at Herod’s birthday party.  Now that’s a strange party favor, but this is what happened, the daughter of Philip and Herodias was requested to dance for the king and his buddies and it pleased the king so much that he promised her whatever she wanted and of all the party favors she ask for, she requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and she took it to her mother.  Now the rest of the story, Herod desired his brother’s wife and in that he was king, he took her and they began an illegitimate relationship.  John the Baptist got into Herod’s face and told him so and the result was John’s imprisonment.  Now here is where the account gets a little fussy, but we do know that Herodias hated John and wanted him dead, but the king feared the people because they thought John was a prophet.  This much should be clear, the king and his birthday friends were under the influence of adult beverages and we do not know why the daughter of Herodias was asked to dance seductively before the king, but we do know that it was the mother who ask for John’s head through the daughter’s request. 

Do you understand that those at the Birthday party for Herod were his followers, and in what seems as a drunken state they were not appalled at their leaders action.  Now some in that room may have not agreed with Herod but being his followers gave them privileges, maybe even honor of others who were not part of the kings enter circle. 

Should not each of us examine whom we are following, and why we are following them?  Is it to put us in the inter circle at work, at church, in the neighborhood, or is it a sport, a silly little game that has no eternal benefit?  It matters whose disciple you are, it matters who you are following, a preacher, a rock star, a sport figure, a Politian, a religious group, not one of them can offer what Jesus has to offer.  Who but Jesus can fulfill this promise: “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”  I’ve discovered that only a follower of Christ finds this life, it will not come from any other source.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice