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Disciples are Determined
During Jesus’ ministry there is key phrase that reveals Jesus’ determination. Luke records in 9:51 that Jesus “set his face” to go to Jerusalem. What is so significant about this? It is clear in all the gospel accounts that Jesus knew that crucifixion awaited him in Jerusalem. He tells his disciples several times that he would beaten, humiliated, and killed when he went there. One one of these occasions Jesus even gets reprimanded by Peter! (it did not turn out well for Peter). No matter how much his followers tried to dissuade him, and no matter how much his human intuition compelled him - he determined to go.
When we determine to do something we “set our face” to it. We look at nothing else. It is a resolution in our mind that it is as good as done. The decision is made.
We certainly want to find the right balance between being resolute on the one hand, but flexible/open-minded on the other. Erring too far to the prior will make us stubborn. Erring too far to the latter will compromise what is right. How do we choose what to be determined about?
Our first lesson is always from Jesus. He chose death as something to be determined about. His purpose of coming to earth was to prepare the sacrifice that would atone the sins of the world. If he were not to do this then his mission is lost, his relationship with the Father (who made the plan) is compromised, and we all are lost. Setting his face to Jerusalem was a foundational must. Our lesson in this is listening to the will of the Father for our foundational musts. Jesus did not set his face to death because he wanted it or was looking forward to it. The eve of his death he prays to the Father “If there is any way, let this not happen. But your will be done rather than mine”. We tend to grow stubborn on the things that benefit us or align with what we want. If we are following Jesus’ pattern, we will instead listen to the Father’s will alone. We will make sacrifices, even unto death itself, to do His will. This is commendable determination.
Our second lesson comes from a wording in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He says in 2:2 “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. Paul had made a decision regarding his preaching. His resolution was that his message would not center on any other topic except Jesus and His sacrifice. Paul was not going to build that church on invitations to comfort or social benefits. He was not going to build their faith by flattery or self-indulgence. Any faith and any church that was formed from Paul’s preaching was going to be solely determined by the death of Jesus and the implications of service and self-denial. Paul ‘set his face’ to this mission, and we can read about its success.
Our third lesson comes from the praise-worthy charity of the Christians in Antioch. There was a famine in southern Judea, and the newly formed ‘mixed’ church (Jews and Gentiles together) made a determination to assist the Christians in Jerusalem. Even though many of the Jews in Jerusalem were very biased and resistant to Gentiles, the disciples “determined, everyone according his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Juda” Acts 11:29. This would have likely been an unpopular charity. But they made the determination to try. Half of this lesson is about the amiable nature of this determination. It was not self serving. It did not boost ego. It was a humble attempt to make peace and foster unity. The other half of this lesson is that they made an intention without demanding conformity. They did want to help, but the degree to which they could help and the individuals who would participate was flexible. In the end they were happy letting each person self-evaluate between their own heart and Jesus the way they would share. In the end, Jesus did allow a generous gift. Their hearts were all on board. The result was beneficial in building the kingdom. Our takeaway is to make it our intention to do what will build up God’s kingdom, even if unpopular. Our intention is not a rule, and we leave it up to Jesus how things will play out. And we will not judge others according to the surface of how it looks like they are participating in what we have evaluated for ourselves.
Our last lesson is an inverse. Peter recalls in Acts 3:13 the Roman official Pilate’s response to Jesus. Pilate saw the phony trial of Jesus for what it was: petty jealousy (Mark 15:10). Because of this Pilate made the decision that Jesus should be let go. He had Jesus flogged in an attempt to placate the crowd and dissuade any more trouble making. But he had made the judicial decision to release him. However, his determination was not as resilient as our prior examples. Pilate allowed his spectrum to lean too far to flexibility. He compromised what he knew was right in order to save himself trouble. The Jews had a long history at this point of causing issues for Rome, and his primary purpose in Jerusalem was to make sure the Caesar didn’t hear about riots or uprisings. He didn’t want to jeopardize his own position or the head-ache of their riot. So he compromised. He went back on his determination to free Jesus and instead handed him over to be crucified. Ironically, this very thing had been ‘determined’ by God and Jesus. Their will won out over Pilate’s, but not to his credit. The lesson for us is: once you determine what is right, do not compromise. Make sure you are on the right side first before you commit.
As disciples of Jesus we want to follow his pattern of determination. Even when it causes us harm or discredit. Even when it means we have to put ourselves down and serve a greater purpose. Even when it is socially unpopular and costs us financially. Even if it costs us our jobs or our lives. We determine to put Christ and his death as center of our faith and our churches. We set our face to the kingdom of God.
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