Forest Hills Mennonite Church

Christy and Peter reflect on their work in Central Africa and the ways that Jesus wants to use our small acts of faithfulness to accomplish incredible things.

In the aftermath of the resurrection, two disciples look Jesus right in his eyes—but fail to recognize him. If we're serious about faithfully following Jesus, maybe we need to confront the things that make it difficult for us to recognize him. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said that "When Christ calls someone, he bids them come and die." If Bonhoeffer is right, how can we claim that Christian faith is good news? Perhaps it's because Easter changes everything. 

As Jesus enters into Jerusalem, is he acting as an authoritative king or a humble servant? Maybe the paradox of Palm Sunday is that as we follow Jesus, we see that he's both—at exactly the same time. 

The call to follow Jesus involves embracing one of Jesus' central identities—servant. Jesus served. So should we. As profound as this simple truth is, there are complexities to service, too. 

God becomes incarnate in the midst of a world rife with all types of conflict, from interpersonal to religious to political. To follow Jesus means that we are invited to enter into conflicts the way that Jesus did. 

Near the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus calls his closest followers together to call them by a surprising title: friend. To follow Jesus, then, means to be a friend of Jesus—and to deepen our friendships with those around us. 

Who follows Jesus into the wilderness? As much as prioritize walking in Jesus' footsteps and following His example, the journey in the wilderness and the struggle before His execution remind us that Jesus accomplishes things on our behalf that we cannot accomplish for ourselves.