NO...and I mean it!

I dropped this into a YFC newsletter this week and it seems to have been helpful, so...

"The word 'No.' is a complete sentence." That's what our DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative trainer said last week to a dozen YFC City Life staff and 60 others from New York, Washington DC, Cleveland, Dallas and Miami. He was teaching about the virtues of a balanced and holistic lifestyle. I began thinking about how Jesus modeled this.

When Lazarus was near death there was an urgent message for Jesus to quicken his pace and arrive at Bethany ahead of his planned schedule. Jesus did not comply, lingering until his late arrival on the scene assured that the story line about Lazarus' resurrection would likely include a phrase commonly uttered about middle school boys' showering habits: "after 3 days he began to stink!" (John 11)

I don't know exactly how many people had applied to be part of Jesus' circle of constant companions, but he only chose 12. By refusing to give everyone an all-access pass he protected the priority of his mission. He could not invest deeply in a few if he also said "yes" to the masses. Jesus' prayer in the Garden testifies to his preservation of this most important agenda. (John 17)

The rich young ruler was an earnest seeker of truth. He was loved by Jesus. But he wanted to navigate his relationship with God on his own carefully measured terms. Jesus refused this conditional response and, though it was a thing to behold for the disciples at the time, we now understand that the truth of the gospel was at stake in Jesus' loving "no." (Mark 10: 17-31)

Public opposition to his ministry often came in the form of someone trying to get Jesus to perform a miracle as a demonstration of his power. Religious cynics would put the challenge in Jesus' face, the most ill-timed being Herod's mocking request for a sign during his inquisition. Jesus' "no" came in the form of a silent dismissal, a rejection as complete as the best of Dwight Howard's shot blocks. (Luke 23: 6-12)

When our Lord Jesus came to earth as a man he accepted the limitations of being human. Like us, he could not be in two places at once. Like us, he could not possibly respond to every request made of him in a way that satisfies everyone who does the asking. Like us, he had to divide his time according to priorities.

Unlike us, Jesus perfectly knew his priorities and practiced the disciplines that would guarantee his focus on what God wanted him to do--every minute of every day. He used the word "no" to be faithful…a good pattern to follow.