"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]."
Luke 9:23 (AMP)
“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
– Yoda
Like most things, the words above are much easier said/read than done. There are times when it's easy to say "okay Jesus, here you go." Like when it's something in your life that you really don't have that strong of an attachment too. Or when it's a behavior that isn't second nature to you, it's pretty easy to say "Sure, you can have this." However, here's the catch, Jesus didn't say he wanted only the parts of our hearts we were willing to give him, he wants ALL of our heart.
But even there, if you seek God, your God, you’ll be able to find him if you’re serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29 (MSG)
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)
Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.
Luke 14:25-26 (MSG)
Now it gets pretty intimidating...I can imagine the dialog going something like this:
Me: So Jesus, you want me to give you EVERYTHING?
Jesus: Yes. All of it.
Me: Even my dreams? My family? My future?
Jesus: Yes.
Me: But I have very specific plans for my life, I have a particular way in which I've envisioned it...do you think you can follow my blueprint? I mean...
Jesus: Trust me, my daughter. I can handle it. If you give me your life, let me handle the blueprint, it's going to be better than you could have ever dreamed! Even if it doesn't happen in the way you expected it to.
Me: You're sure Jesus? Cause I really care about this stuff, these people. Are you sure you want ALL of it?
Jesus: Yes.
The above scene has played out in my life many, many times over, daily even. A Yoda in my life has told me that dying to ourselves daily is the only way to truly experience what God has for us. I know from experience that it's much harder to do than it is to say. The reason, it means we have to let go of the controls. We have to trust that Jesus is going to do what he said he would and that we're just along for the ride.
Think of it this way, Jedi Knights were/are some of the most respected and powerful beings in all of the Star Wars Galaxy. They were often sought out for their wisdom on complicated matters and when needed they were the ones called in when the situation was dire. They could manipulate the force to do things that most of the population couldn't. They had a calm, serious demeanor, and they had lightsabers! I mean what kid didn't pretend to have a lightsaber at one time or another?
Here's the thing, though, Jedi Knights or the more elite Jedi Masters didn't start out that way, they had to go through a pretty intense training regimen that took YEARS!!! Young Jedi or Younglings were selected and taken from their homes at a very young age and brought to the Jedi Temple to train. They were taught the cores of the Jedi way. They had to go through different tests along the way to prove to their Masters they were ready to become a Jedi. One of the key things to a Jedi's way of life was not becoming attached to anyone or anything. The Jedi knew that by being attached to a wife, child, parent, or even a friend, could compromise their mission. Would make them susceptible to the Darkside of the force. In order to protect themselves and the ones they were sworn to protect, they denied themselves those attachments and made sure any other outside attachments they did have were kept in perspective and didn't become more important than the mission.
There's a scene that really sticks out to me, it's from Empire Strikes Back when Yoda is training Luke Skywalker and they begin to talk about the Darkside:
Yoda: Yes, run! Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.
Luke: Vader... Is the dark side stronger?
Yoda: No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.
Luke: But how am I to know the good side from the bad?
Yoda: You will know... when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, NEVER for attack.
Luke: But tell my why I can't...
Yoda: No, no! There is no "why"
Another scene, again from Empire Strikes Back, was when Luke was trying to get his x-wing jet from the swamp on Dagobah:
[Luke sees his X-Wing is about to sink into the bog]
Luke Skywalker: Oh, no! We'll never get it out now!
Yoda: So certain, are you? Always with you, it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?
Luke: Master, moving stones around is one thing, but this is... totally different!
Yoda: No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.
Luke: All right, I'll give it a try.
Yoda: No! Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.
[Luke tries to use the Force to levitate his X-Wing out of the bog, but fails in his attempt.]
Luke: I can't. It's too big.
Yoda: Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.
Luke: You want the impossible. [sees Yoda use the Force to levitate the X-Wing out of the bog and gets flustered when he does it] I don't... I don't believe it!
Yoda: That is why you fail.
Now let's re-read the scenes again, but this time imagine it's a conversation between you and Jesus (no I'm not saying Yoda is Jesus...its just he reminds me of him).
Jesus: A Christian's strength flows from me. But beware of the enemy. Anger, fear, aggression; the tools of the enemy they are. Prowling around like a lion the enemy is. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, seek to dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it has many others in this world.
Me: Is the dark side stronger?
Jesus: No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.
Me: But how am I to know the good side from the bad?
Jesus: You will know... when you fix your mind on me, you will be calm, at peace. A Christian uses their faith in me to show them the attacks from the Enemy, to protect them. Fix your mind on me and trust me...You will know when the time comes...you will know.
Me: But tell my why I can't...
Jesus: No, no! There is no "why" just faith!
[Drea sees a situation in her life that is intimidating, and once again doubts Jesus]
Drea: Oh, no! We'll never get it out now!
Jesus: So certain, are you? Always with you, it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?
Drea: Master, I know you helped me last time, and the time before that, but this is... totally different!
Jesus: No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.
Drea: All right, I'll give it a try.
Jesus: No! Try not. Trust... or trust not. There is no try.
[Drea attempts to put her trust in Jesus, but she doesn't really give it to him fully...as a result, she fails]
Drea: Jesus, I can't. It's too big.
Jesus: Size matters not. If you only have the faith of a mustard seed, a mountain you could move. Many things I have done for you have I not? Died on the cross and rose again, saved you from your sins, Why then afraid are you, my child? Given you my Holy Spirit I have, a spirit of fear it is not. Let it flow through you, bringing you my peace.
Drea: I know you've come through for me before Jesus, but this time, this time you want me to trust you with the impossible. [Jesus comes through...yet again...Drea can't believe her eyes] I don't... I don't believe it!
Jesus: Such little faith have you. That is why you fail.
(Again, I'm not saying that Yoda is Jesus, its just sometimes it helps me to think of a real world example. Also, Jesus can use anything and anyone to get his message across.)
Think about the Christian life as if you were a Jedi Padawan. The Padawans' always strived to be more like their Masters in every way. We need to/ are commanded to be more like our Master, Jesus. In order to do that, we have to die to ourselves every day. We have to trust Jesus with EVERYTHING even the people and dreams that go straight to the center of our hearts. I'll admit, I don' always do this, and I don't understand what it all means yet, and I probably won't this side of eternity. But that's why I'm training. Every day is a new exercise/opportunity to become more and more like my Master. I am a Christian, a Jedi Knight of this world. Our Master has even given us a lightsaber, His Word! With it we can fend off the attacks from the enemy.
Final thoughts: The Christian life, like the life of a Jedi, isn't an easy one. And while I don't believe that Jesus wants us to go to the extremes the Jedis' did with the whole no attachment thing, I do believe that he wants us to be sure that our attachments to others don't come before our attachment to him.
"I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."
Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG)
"I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back."
Philippians 3:12-14 (MSG)
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
"Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father."
Philippians 2:5-11 (MSG)
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