Days of Noah

By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.4If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:6Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. [1 John 2:3-6]

I often wonder what it would be like if Jesus were walking the earth today. It’s an interesting thought at the very least.

Try to imagine with me if you can. You are outside, working in the garden, and Jesus walks up to you. You know it’s Him. His eyes – full of the fiercest love – cut right through your heart. He holds out his nail-pierced hand and simply says, “follow me.”

What do you do? Do you reach for your phone to make a call? Do you hesitate as you calculate all the possible scenarios? Or do you lock eyes, stand up and simply say, “Yes Lord. Lead the way.”

I hope I know what I would do. No hesitation. No calculation. Just simple obedience.

Now, let’s try to imagine what it would truly look like to walk with Jesus.

The Weightier Matters of the Law

It doesn’t take too much of an imagination to know what walking with Jesus would be like. Surely the Son of God would seek the least of these, the poor, the sick, sinner, the widow, and the fatherless. He would preach repentance and the good news of the Kingdom. He would heal, restore, bless, and provide.

Jesus would do righteously, show mercy, and walk humbly, for these are what He called the weightier matters of the Father’s heart.

In condemning the hypocritical religious leaders of Judah, Jesus reminds us of what is most important.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. [Matthew 23:23]

Justice. Mercy. Compassion. Faithfulness. These are the principles of the Kingdom that are at the forefront of the Father’s heart, and therefore should be on ours as well.

But is that all that would be expected if we walked with the Messiah?

The Prophet Like Moses

Now imagine after ministering with Jesus all day, the weariness sets in. You are tired and hungry, and Jesus looks to you and says, “Prepare us a meal so that we can be refreshed.”

A meal? Fit for the King? Oh my… You weren’t prepared for that!

As you return to your house, you check the fridge. Not much there. Just some deli ham and cheese. So you grab some bread and quickly throw together a few sandwiches with some chips and set the plate before Jesus.

He looks at the plate and looks up with a loving smile.

“Could you prepare just some bread and cheese for me my son,” he asked kindly.

“Bread and cheese? What’s wrong with the sandwich? Did I do something wrong,” you think to yourself. Your mind is racing.

Jesus perceiving your thoughts gently says, “It’s okay my son. You didn’t know. But I only eat what the Father permits. Only that which is good for food.”

Then it hits you! The HAM! Pig is not a clean animal. The Father forbids His people to eat unclean animals.

How could you have been so careless? After all, you had eaten pig your whole life. Grandma’s Easter ham was a family staple.

And yet the reality of walking with Jesus and sharing a meal with Him changed everything!

“Never again,” you say to yourself. “From now on, I will only eat what Jesus eats.”

“Forgive me Lord,” you say dropping your head.

“You are forgiven, my son,” Jesus says, gently lifting my head. “Now let us bless the Father and give thanks for our daily bread.”

He didn’t say another word about the ham. He didn’t have to. His grace and kindness was more than enough to bring conviction and restoration.

Then you remember the words of the Father to Israel.

Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.19And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name. [Deuteronomy 18:17-19]

It’s not just the weightier matters of the law that matter to Jesus. Jesus came as our example to show us how to walk out all of the Father’s commandments.

Sabbath Rest

After your meal, Jesus looks up and notices the sun is setting over the horizon. It’s Friday evening.

You ask, “Lord, what will we do tomorrow? I need to go into the office for a few hours to catch up on some work. Would you like to come? I would love to introduce you to all my coworkers,” you say excitedly.

Once again, Jesus looks at me intently but with kindness. “No my son,” He says. “It is the Sabbath. We will rest tomorrow. I have so much to show you in my word. And we will pray to the Father and ask Him to show us where to go and what to do next.”

The Sabbath! That’s right. Saturday is the Sabbath. “Of course,” you say to yourself. “Why didn’t I remember.”

So you build up the courage to ask Jesus.

“Lord, my pastor taught me that we don’t have to rest anymore on Saturday because that commandment was just for the Jews. And he also says that we worship on Sunday now because the Sabbath was fulfilled when you died on the cross and our new day to gather is Sunday. I don’t understand.”

Jesus simply responds, “It is written from the beginning, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. I did not come to abolish the law. The Son of Man is Lord even over the Sabbath.”

“Lord of the Sabbath,” I think to myself. “Of course! It all makes sense. Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Sabbath. He came to honor it to the fullest.”

“I can’t wait to honor the Sabbath with you Lord,” you say. “I have so much to learn!”

Walk as Jesus Walked

Now let me ask you. Is this an accurate illustration of what it would look like to walk with Jesus if he were with us on the earth?

If so, then why do so many of His followers walk according to the traditions of men and not according to His commandments?

When we sign up to follow Jesus, He requires that we surrender everything to Him. Not just parts of our lives that are convenient. That obviously includes the weightier matters of the law. But not at the neglect of other commandments.

Jesus expects obedience in all areas of our lives, including what we eat, how we keep our schedules and calendars, and even what we wear.

It’s not complicated or burdensome. It’s simple. If the Father commanded it and we can do it, then we should. Not to earn our salvation. Not to boast or be seen by men. But simply because we love Him and want to walk as He walked.