Ready To Be Changed?

When the Romans led a criminal to his execution he was forced to carry the cross on which he would die. It showed submission to Rome and warned observers that they had better submit too or face death. Jesus’ listeners would have been well aware of this when he chose an odd phrase to say, “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” You can almost hear the shocked gasp, as the crowd would be asking why Jesus would he make such a difficult demand of his disciples. To carry a cross equalled public shame and humiliation. What was Jesus asking? Submission. Total. Complete.   Unforced submission. Not all in the crowd would have been disciples. Some would have been there as curious onlookers, some were spies looking to report back every wrong movement He made to Religious leaders. Some were there looking for healing. Still, others were looking to Jesus to bring down the Roman Government with force and ultimate victory. Jesus was issuing a choice: to either go deeper with Him or turn back.

 

Submission can often carry with it negative overtones such as allowing another person to have authority over you unwillingly and forcefully. The submission Jesus asks for is a yielding to Him. The word yield means to give up control or responsibility for something. A yielding to Jesus means that we give Him control and responsibility of our lives. Our wills and desires offered to the one who loves us and created us.

 

A blacksmith will create objects from iron by forging the metal by using tools to form the iron into a shape. The raw material is a dull piece of metal. It is then plunged into a fire in temperatures exceeding 2000 degrees. Iron when heated glowing yellow hot becomes as malleable as clay. It is in this near molten state that beauty is given an opportunity to emerge. It is in this state that it is hammered, twisted, bent, pulled, nudged and persuaded to become something more. The blacksmith is able to mould the metal into the shape he desires. The metal has become soft and completely yielded and when it is in this state it can be put into the shape the blacksmith requires.

 

When we submit our whole lives to Jesus our hearts become soft. When we turn our backs on our own selfish desires and become yielded to God’s will He is able to mould us into the shape He desires. We so often submit part of our lives to Jesus maybe giving Him the things that won’t cost us much or areas that we want Him to work in or areas that He can make us successful. It’s harder to submit to Him areas of our lives that are hidden or that we’re ashamed about. Harder to submit to Him the gossiping that we love to do. Or those Internet sites that we like but know we shouldn’t. Or those relationships that influence us in the wrong way. Jesus wants our whole lives, not just a part. He wants part every part of our lives to belong to Him. Central to the cross is sacrifice and sacrifice by its very nature means death. Jesus calls us to put to death our own desires and ambitions and submit them to Him.

 

It has been said, “Many come following Jesus who love His heavenly kingdom but few come looking forward to His suffering. Many admire His miracles but few follow Him in humiliation to the cross.” Many followed Jesus were willing to be just spectators. Discipleship is serious. It is demanding. Jesus called those who were willing to come and follow with all you are and all you have. Even though it may cost us everything that is precious to us. It is through our complete submission, the utter yielding of who we are, when we live a surrendered life and let Jesus mould us and transform us that we become true disciples. If we are willing to become like the raw iron metal and under go the heat to become malleable, so that in this state we allow ourselves by the heavenly blacksmith to be hammered, twisted, bent, pulled, nudged and gently persuaded, we become something more. Transformed.