At What Price?

At what price? That is the question I have been wrestling with the past month or so. I like to read. And Amazon's new electronic reader is something I would like to get my hands on. However it is priced at $399 which seems to me to be a bit overpriced (and many reviewers of the Kindle agree with me!). So at present I have decided to bide my time and wait to see if Amazon lowers the price.

At what price? What price are we willing to pay to follow Jesus Christ? Here in America, the price required is not all that demanding. Followers of Jesus may face some ridicule here or there. But on average, that is about as far as it goes. Not so in India. While at CFI, I met a young man (still in his 20's) who has paid a high price for following Jesus. He has been jailed three times and beaten twice, all because of his faith. In addition his young wife and baby were also roughed up. At the present time he is recovering from major shoulder surgery - which is the second major surgery he has undergone in the past year. He also needs surgery on his other shoulder. After his second beating, doctors told him he would never walk again - his knee was in that bad of shape. However, God was good and he walks today -- even if it is somewhat with a limp.

After he shared his story with me I asked him what he was now planning to do. He told me he is returning to the area of India where he was persecuted. Once back, he is going to train church planters to plant house churches. He is planning to do this "underground" to avoid any more beatings. Still, the danger to himself and his family remains. Please pray for this courageous young man as he and his wife follow Jesus.

Wow! As I thought about Satish, I thought about myself. Would I be willing to go back as he is going back? I am not so sure. Yet Jesus calls us to follow him - WHEREVER he may lead! And when we leave our "comfort zones" to follow him he is pleased and we are storing up rewards for ourselves in heaven. Listen to these words of Jesus which he spoke to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first" (Matthew 19:28-30).

So are you willing to follow Jesus? At what price?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj