Admirers or followers?

My astute brother in law, Stephen Hollaway, Pastor of Harbor Church, in Block Island, RI, prefaced his sermon on March 28th, with this succinct quote by Kierkegaard:

It is well known that Christ consistently used the expression ‘follower.’  He never asks for admirers, worshippers, or adherents.  No, he calls disciples.  It is not adherents of a teaching but followers of a life Christ is looking for.  His whole life on earth, from beginning to end, was destined solely to have followers and to make admirers impossible.

To want to admire instead of to follow Christ is not necessarily an invention by bad people. No, it is more an invention by those who spinelessly keep themselves detached, who keep themselves at a safe distance. Admirers are only too willing to serve Christ as long as proper caution is exercised, lest one personally come in contact with danger. As such, they refuse to accept that Christ's life is a demand. In actual fact, they are offended at him. His radical, bizarre character so offends them that when they honestly see Christ for who he is, they are no longer able to experience the tranquility they so much seek after. They know full well that to associate with him too closely amounts to being up for examination. Even though he "says nothing" against them personally, they know that his life tacitly judges theirs.

Now suppose that there is no longer any special danger, as it no doubt is in so many of our Christian countries, bound up with publicly confessing Christ.  The difference between following and admiring still remains.  Does not the Way – Christ’s requirement to die to the world and deny the self – does this not contain enough danger?

The admirer never makes any true sacrifices.  He always plays it safe.  Though in word he is inexhaustible about how highly he prizes Christ, he renounces nothing, will not reconstruct his life, and will not let his life express what it is he supposedly admires.  Not so for the follower.  No, no.  The follower aspires with all his strength to be what he admires.  And because of the follower’s life, it will become evident who the admirers are, for the admirers will become agitated with him. Even these words will disturb many – but then they must likewise belong to the admirers.

~~~Soren Kierkegaard

The Danish philosopher of the 19th century explains it plainly.

There is indeed a dramatic difference between admiring Christ—which most all the world does, and literally becoming a follower, a disciple. That choice requires denying yourself, which means dying to the egoic self and one’s worldly methods of clinging to the world’s systems of success, “ways of keeping score”, judgment based thinking towards other people and cultural values.

Following Yeshua means choosing to die to one’s own self, allowing it to become nothing, and allow His Divine, Essential, Holy Spirit Self to be manifested in your earthly existence. The Way, is a narrow path, and few follow Him in this defining way of life.