When people came to Jesus and said they wanted to follow Him, He told them to drop everything. Sell it all. Leave everything behind. Don’t even bury your dead, just follow. That’s a bold sentiment.
He told them to take nothing with them. No money. No extra shirts. Just their shoes.
Following Jesus was never supposed to be safe.
It was never supposed to be easy.
And it sure was never supposed to win you popularity points.
We live in a world (and honestly, a church culture) that pressures us to be palatable. To tone it down. To make Jesus more “marketable.”
But the real Jesus? He flipped tables. He broke religious rules. He called out hypocrisy. He made people uncomfortable.
Even when He told people not to spread the word, they couldn’t help it.
Jesus didn’t blend in, even when He wanted to lay low. He was radical. He did not come to play it safe.
And the Pharisees hated Him for it.
They hated Him enough to plot against Him.
Mock Him.
Nail Him to a cross.
So if you feel like you don’t fit in. maybe that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be.
He didn’t call you to blend in. He called you to follow.
And that road? It’s narrow. It’s costly. It won’t always get you applause.
But it leads to real life.
You’re not here for them. You’re here for Him.
So keep showing up.
Keep standing firm.
Keep choosing faithfulness over fitting in.
Let the world misunderstand you.
Let the Pharisees criticize.
Let the system roll its eyes.
You’re not here to blend. You’re here to be set apart.
You weren’t called to be comfortable. You were called to be courageous.
You weren’t made to water Him down. You were made to lift Him up.
The crowd might not clap. The algorithm might not care. But Heaven sees you.
And Jesus? He’s still worth following.
