ROBINS’ STORY:
the story goes that Dick Grayson was filled with rage at
that mobster who was responsible for his parents’ death. Bruce recognized that
same anger in him as he also lost his parents at the hands of a violent
criminal. Bruce saw that he could channel Dick’s rage to crime fighting and he
began to train Dick to become his side-kick- The Boy Wonder. The two heroes
brought the mobster to justice; and from that point on, they were inseparable.
Batman and Robin. Wherever Batman was, Robin was there too. The Batmobile now
had two seats. As Robin trained with Batman, he grew in skill, in courage, and
in strength. The training was tough, but if he was going to be like Batman- it
was going to be a full time job- it was going to have to take all of his energy
and effort. To be like Batman it meant total commitment- to eat, sleep and
breathe crime-fighting. Robin had declared an oath in the Batcave- and he was
keeping it. PETER’S STORY:
Peter learned from Jesus too- but not in a classroom, but
by following Him. Peter left everything to follow Jesus. He left his fishing
boat and his nets- he dropped everything to follow Jesus. Jesus required total
commitment too. In Luke 9, Jesus said, “As they were walking along the road, a
man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”
Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus wanted total commitment from His disciples. This wasn’t a hobby or a discipleship class- this was a whole new life.
In Mark 8:34, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the
gospel will save it.”
OUR STORY:
Jesus calls us to be His disciple- and not just to read a
chapter about Him a day, or to listen to a speech about Him on Sunday morning,
but to follow him and to be like Him. For him, this isn’t some hobby or fad
that we get into when we are teenagers- this is a whole new life. and Jesus
isn’t looking for 10 minutes a day or an hour on Sunday- He’s looking for all
of us; total commitment. in Romans 12, Paul says, “Therefore, I urge you,
brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” In view of
God’s mercy, give Him everything you’ve got. All day- all night, every day. Just
like Robin, and just like Peter, it won’t always be easy- but as we follow him,
we will find ourselves growing closer and closer with our hero- and we will
discover that following Him is transforming us to be mirror images of Him.
If Robin were a real life person, He could look back on his life and see that it was completely marked and transformed by his relationship with Batman. Peter was completely changed by his relationship with Jesus. Every aspect of his life and his entire future and legacy was marked by it. There tough days, but it was worth it to them, and it is worth it to us.
The Master extends His hand and invites us to be His sidekick- His apprentice. Will you respond?
God is love.
-rev-rob
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