It is Finished (for 2010 at least)

I know Jesus really meant it and there is no comparison between the Master and Football. After all everybody expects that it will all be back in 2011, but with Jesus that will happen only once, it might even be before next years footy.
With all the hype about this football year and two grand finals in one weekend it seemed like an interesting way to start another comparison between the faith of the Football Supporter and the Church member/Christian. For it is a commonly made observation of the football fanatic who is so one sided that you could stand them on that point. Unfortunately, though we all sing about standing up for Jesus, most of us choose to hold the view that our faith is a private matter, and do not stand for Him.
The irony is that almost all of the Christians that I have met can nominate their favourite football teams and follow them faithfully every weekend, if the discussion at Sunday morning fellowship time is anything to go by. Not everyone is a total dyed in the wool football nut but enough are sufficiently motivated that the weekend’s games have centre stage in many church fellowship gatherings.
I must make this disclaimer. I do not have anything against the “Motivated Football Supporter.” I am married to one and two of my children are similarly inclined. In fact I tend to think that football without supporters would decline to the significance of a minor sport. There seems to be a direct link between the size of a team’s supporter base and its status. Heart cry is that if Christians can be so excited by a team of athletes, why these same people do not feel the same about Jesus the One who is called “God with us”.
It is a constant divide between being a Follower of Jesus and living for Jesus. Many of us seem to be of the opinion that they are not called to be a full time Christian, or at least publicly. Full discipleship has costs, Jesus told us of some of these during His public ministry. He also warned us about taking the middle line.
Luke’s Gospel tells us of three instances of would be followers. In the first comment Jesus told the would-be follower that He slept rough which was enough to put this person off; we are not guaranteed a certain standard of a accommodation when we follow Him. Next came the man who had a father issue, this man wanted to go and bury his father before coming to follow Jesus to which Jesus called him to single minded allegiance. Last is the man who wanted to go and tell his family of his decision first. This is where the quote "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luke: 9;62 ) comes from. Jesus makes it clear that He expects a total commitment from those who would take His name.
Jesus the Christ is entitled to make such claims. He did die that we would have life, especially because He called us as His ambassadors to present His claims to an unbelieving society to make disciples who we would educate in the ways of faith. The fact that Jesus valued us so much that He went voluntarily to Calvary for you and me is our motivation then for going onward as Christians where we play, where we work to introduce our contacts to Jesus who gave us life.
It is for this reason that I wish that Jesus followers had the same passion as the followers of football clubs. We have so much more to celebrate that a transitory victory. Perhaps if people saw us with that passion then those in our circles might have so much more to think about when facing up to the Jesus question.