How Does Transformation Happen? Follow.
Who did you follow when you were young? When I was in junior high school, I always had the latest issue of Teen Beat Magazine to follow the lives of heartthrobs Sean Cassidy, Leif Garret, and the Bay City Rollers (swoon). I’d scour the pages looking for articles on Starsky and Hutch and Charlie’s Angels (don’t judge). I never missed watching Battle of the Network Stars to see my favorite celebrities competing in various sporting events. I know now that none of what I saw about these famous people was real, but it didn’t matter to me then - I followed anyway.
Following is always about the eyes and what you see. It is the first step in the transformation process that Jesus tapped into when making disciples. Last week on our blog, Leonard introduced us to this circular process of follow > trust > love > imitate > bear fruit.
When I was a kid, I loved to push the grocery cart as my mom shopped. I’d follow her up and down the aisles. It always made her nervous, though. She’d say, “Watch where you’re going!” Inevitably, I’d crash into her backside because I wasn’t looking. Following is about the eyes.
One day, John the Baptist was with two of his disciples. John saw Jesus passing by and said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two men looked at Jesus and, hearing John’s words, followed Him.
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him...
(John 1:38-39).
Following is always about the eyes. Following is about where we are looking and who we are looking at.
In Luke 19, we find the story of Zacchaeus. This man wanted to see Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd as we know. So, he climbed a tree to get a good look. Then, something miraculous happened. Jesus saw Zacchaeus and invited him to be his friend. This invitation to friendship prompted a dramatic response in Zacchaeus. He repented and paid back many times over what he had swindled from others. Zacchaeus saw Jesus. Jesus let Zacchaeus know that He saw him, too. Zacchaeus’s life was transformed, and I imagine he followed Jesus for the rest of his life.
Following is always about the eyes. As followers of Jesus, our goal is to keep our eyes focused on Him, for, as Hebrews tells us, He is the author and perfector of our faith. Growth and transformation occur when we keep our eyes focused on the One we’re following.
From time to time, all of us shift our gaze from Jesus to something or someone else. Do you remember the story of Jesus walking on water during the storm? Peter wanted to be where Jesus was, so he stepped out of the boat, eyes focused on Christ, and then he was walking on water, too! Amazing! Then what happened? Peter shifted his gaze from Jesus to the storm; fear overtook him, and he nearly drowned. Where are you looking? Following is about the eyes.
The next time you find yourself filled with fear, envy, or shame, ask, “Where am I looking?” When we focus on ourselves, compare our lives with others, or dwell on failures (that have been forgiven), we take our eyes off Christ and the work He did on the Cross.
Following is about the eyes. So, “let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).