Parable of the Procrastinating Disciple

 

“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”—from "The Sound of Music"

Based on a true story from this week...

In a land not very far away—in fact, very, very close

A long-awaited package arrived

It was big and looked very inviting on the outside

But on the inside, it got complicated

Too many things to figure out, too many hours involved

Too much uncertainty as to how it might all turn out

The long-awaited package continued to be admired

Every day, you looked, you liked, but walked past it

Perhaps another time

When I’m more motivated

When I get these other things done

When I’m in the mood

When I know for certain that everything is going to go as planned…

“Then another said, ‘I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.’

Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.’”—Luke 9:61-62, Message

…And then one day, after looking and admiring but still walking by

A step, then another, then another

Until admiration became determination—and you begin

Even though all that was involved inside the box still looks like a puzzle

But look—there’s a Manual for that!

And it didn’t yell at me: “What is wrong with you?”

Instead, it brought (and still brings) order out of chaos

And suddenly, all that was inside the box began to make sense

A lot of sense

And soon, what you had kept in the box all week until the mood was right

Became joy unexplainable inside and out

And a great sense of relief

Not easy, though, and still lots to learn

But so worth it

Not just that first, Life-changing moment either

But all the everyday ones—even all the other difficult boxes that are encountered along the Way

Because Following always begins by beginning

And the best way to begin is to just begin…for the rest of your life.

Or until He returns:

“So be ready all the time. For I, the Messiah, will come when least expected.” (Luke 12:40, Living)

“The way of Jesus cannot be imposed or mapped — it requires an active participation in following Jesus as He leads us through sometimes strange and unfamiliar territory, in circumstances that become clear only in the hesitations and questionings, in the pauses and reflections where we engage in prayerful conversation with one another and with Him.”—Eugene Peterson