Theology Thursday is back

After skipping a week in the lectionary schedule I am back to my brief comments on some aspects of this week's readings. So far I have stayed in the gospel reading, but there may be times when I comment on the other readings, as well. I do like the practice of keeping close to the gospels. As a Jesus follower, the gospels are where it's at. 

This week's reading is from Mark 8:31-38.
Go ahead and read it, then come back.

It seems to me that most Christian religions have made it all about what religion can do for me (or you).
Follow Jesus and go to heaven.
Behave this way and God will love you.
Have faith in God, and he will take care of you.
Do this. Don't do that. That's how to get God to love you and shower you with blessings.

Jesus, however, seems to be saying that it isn't about us at all.
Following Jesus has to be about -- well, following Jesus.
When we make following Jesus to be about what it does for us we miss the whole point. God's love isn't a transaction. Eternal life isn't a cosmic game of Let's Make a Deal and heaven isn't a place we go to when we die.
Heaven is about living in and with the presence of God. Following the gospel isn't about doing the right thing so that we can go to heaven. It's about doing the right thing because it's the right thing.
We are in heaven.
We are in the presence of God. It is where (and how) we live.

I know not all of my readers (few that you may be) are Christ followers, but I think there are still some good things to learn from his teachings. Currently there are more than 45,000 different Christian denominations worldwide. While we might agree to follow Jesus, apparently we can't agree on what that looks like.
Religious systems kind of suck.

For what it's worth -- I'm a Jesus follower.
Admittedly, I'm not that great at it, but I'm working on it.
I don't feel like I'm going it alone because there are a lot of followers that are still working on following Jesus from the inside of different denominational religions. More and more, it seems that there are many of us that are choosing to follow Jesus without the restrictions and rules that churches govern with. If you are one of those unchurched followers of Jesus, feel free to join me in your walk -- no ties or restrictions, you can leave and go it alone whenever you want.
Let's share some thoughts about how to follow Jesus.

John