Popularity.  Is it possible to be popular and be an authentic follower of Jesus?  Is it really possible to find the favor, approval and affection of lots of people while living the life Jesus calls us to live?  I’m torn on this.

It seems if we are truly living like Jesus in the midst of this fallen world, we would be pleasing to people in general.  We would be bringing joy to lives, serving the needs of people and loving their socks off….their dirty, stinky, rank socks.  They would love us for that.

But at the same time, if we are authentically living the life Jesus calls us to, the same life He lived on earth, we will be living against the grain.  We will be counter to the wants and desires of this culture.  We will not fit into the status quo.  We will lovingly be challenging the comfort of their …

I’m not a big Tim Tebow fan.  I guess I should say, “I’m not a big fan of the football player Tim Tebow.”  He went to Florida…and not reluctantly I might add.  The fact that he’s a gator makes me not a fan of the football player Tim Tebow.

But I do respect the man a ton and fully like Tim Tebow the person.  I pray for Tim Tebow.  I pray that he maintains consistency in his life with his words and image.  An inconsistency would be a blow to the kingdom.  He is in a tough field in life (pun intended) to be able to live authentically as a Christ-follower and the scrutiny he is under is not warranted.  But he finds himself in a place where all of us as Christ-follower should find ourselves as well.

As Christ-followers, we should all be in a place of constant scrutiny by outsiders …

So what’s the lesson for leaders in Luke 5:1-10?

I think it starts with verse 3.  Jesus did something as a leader in verse 3 that was very intentional.  He did something very strategic.  Something very proactive, especially for a leader who was about to ask Simon to do the ridiculuous.

He climbed in the boat….WITH Simon.

Jesus didn’t stand on the shore and ask Simon to do something so ridiculous like, “Let down your nets.”  No.  Jesus climbed in the boat FIRST.  Then He taught.  Then He asked the ridiculous.  He led Simon out into deeper waters and then He asked the ridiculous.  But He was IN THE BOAT with Simon.

It’s also important to see that Jesus didn’t let the nets down for Simon.  He didn’t say, “Here, let me show you something.”  Just, “Let your nets out for a catch.”

Leadership.  Sitting next to him….with credibility…..in the boat…..asking the ridiculous…..empowering Simon.  It …

Jesus compounds the ridiculous with more ridiculousness.  And it’s awesome.

Jesus’ response to Simon’s realization of his own ridiculousness is an invitation to a better vision.  Jesus proclaims something about Simon’s life, to Simon, which alters his life forever.  He speaks truth over Simon.  ”No more will you waste your time with catching simple fish for food.  From this point forward in your life, you will invest your life in offering hope to those same people who eat your fish.  You’ll bring transformation to their lives by inviting them to salvation.”  (My version of Luke 5:10)  Simon heard this proclamation of truth, this call on his life, because he was enveloped in the awesomeness of Jesus which led to his own ridiculousness realized.  Without that, he’d have missed it.

It’s in our humility, our own state of ridiculousness when Jesus will reveal His truth for our lives to us and call us …

What drives you to put your face in the dirt in utter, unbridled, non-fake, broken humility?

For Simon, it was Jesus’ holiness.  (Luke 5:8-10) He experienced the ridiculous holiness of Jesus and it drove him to realize his own ridiculousness….humility followed.

When we come face to face with the ridiculous holiness of Jesus, we should be driven to realize our own ridiculousness.  If we don’t, there’s a heart issue….something that needs to be confessed or released.  Forgiveness needs to be extended somewhere.  A wrong needs to be made right.  A relationship needs to be mended.  A person needs to be loved by us.

In the face of the ridiculous holiness of Jesus, we should be brought face to face with our own utter ridiculousness.  We should be broken.  We should be humbled.

Have you experienced the ridiculous holiness of Jesus?  What was your response?