Walking in the “footsteps of Jesus” is a phrase that has been repeated so frequently in Christian culture that is in danger of becoming a cliché. There’s a famous poem, an old hymn, and countless pieces of Christian art that all capture an image similar to the one above.
The danger of such familiarity with a scriptural concept is a loss of original textual intent. Today, during a moment of quiet meditation, I came across one of the key passages of scripture that inspires the idea of walking in the footsteps of Jesus. Here it is below in an English translation (The ESV) that I, and many scholars much greater than myself, believes best echoes the original Greek text:
And just for a second glance, here’s how the verse appears in the Passion Translation of the Bible, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite translations of the Bible in contemporary English:
Following in the “footsteps of Jesus” is a beautiful artistic image, to be sure, but how would his followers living in the 21st century, emulate the walk of a divine being in a practical, attainable way? Let’s look at the verse one more time. This time in the NIV translation:
Living our lives as Jesus lives his is a daunting task to say the very least. This is the man who laid his hands on society’s outcasts and disease fled from their bodies. This is the man who could bend the forces of nature to the power of his word: walking across water, quieting tempestuous storms, causing matter itself to multiply or transmute at a command when he multiplied the loaves and fishes or changed the water into wine. Death itself had to yield to his authority.
Not to mention that he ALWAYS knew exactly the right words for any given situation…
How could ANY of us ever live up to an example like that?
But the surprising answer to that question comes in another passage of scripture, written by the same apostle as our “footprints of Jesus” verse:
Those are written in red letters in the original text, by the way. For those of us who have been following Jesus for a long time that’s usually an indication that we should really take notes here, since these words are a direct quote of something Jesus said during his time on Earth.
If Jesus, himself, believes you are capable of living the kind of life that he lived, and doing “even greater things,” then who are you to disagree with him, dear reader?
“But how could anything I do in my life, be classified as ‘even greater works,’ than someone like Jesus?”
Consider this for a moment. The historical figure of Jesus lived a rather short life by our modern standards. He lived only 33 years on this planet, and spent only 3 of those years in full-time ministry. During those three years he taught, he helped, and he showed us in a perfect way what a life totally yielded to the will of the Father looks like.
Most of us, with today’s medicine, will be given the opportunity to live much longer than 33 years (I myself will cross that threshold into my 34th year in just a few weeks), and will have an opportunity to teach, and help, and work for God’s kingdom for much, much longer than 3 years.
Jesus didn’t waste a moment of his 3 years, and literally changed the course of human history in that time. What might you accomplish with 20, 30, or 40+ years of time dedicated to selflessly serving others in God’s kingdom?
What does God want you to do specifically during your years? That’s a question every living soul grapples with, and the answers are as varied and unique as the people God creates. It’s the kind of question that causes would-be philosophers, like myself, to ponder and meditate for years.
It’s a topic I hope we can use this blog to consider in continued meaningful discussion. But let’s close for today with some general thoughts about living in God’s kingdom that apply to all of us:
Trying to master just that single verse would take us a lifetime… I just bet that as we all work towards justice, kindness, and intimate relationship with God, he’ll give more specific details along “the walk.”
Ponder Thoughts 