Leaving Things Behind

While Mark has the clear objective to present that Jesus is the Messiah, he has an equally clear secondary objective. He wants to present that seeing Jesus as Messiah requires a response on our part.

If Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the long awaited redeemer, that God has promised, He is the One through whom God is closing the gap with us. He is coming near. But His approach to us requires the transforming work of repentance. Repentance is necessary to draw near to God (Isa 57:15).

However, our journey with Jesus only begins with repentance. It continues, as He calls us to follow Him. This puts the repentance of idolatry to the test. The disciples needed to leave job, and family to follow Jesus. Nothing could get in the way of their devotion to Him.

Q: What do you need to leave behind to prove your devotion to Jesus is real?