FollowerSample

The setting for today's reading is Caesarea Philippi. This was a city located at the Southwestern base of Mount Hermon. It was a polytheistic society originally named Paneas in honor of the pagan god of shepherds and flocks. Pan was famous for his sexual exploits. Drawings and statues depict Pan as half-man, half-goat having sexual relations with nymphs maidens, men, and animals. During the Roman era, Herod the Great, built a temple there for worship of Caesar. After Herod's death in 4 B.C. his son Phillip renamed the city, Caesarea Phillippi. This being said, the spiritual atmosphere must have been intense and thus a difficult place for a Jesus follower to be. In many ways, we find ourselves in a similar situation today.

In their book 'Faith for Exiles', David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock adopt the phrase, "Digital Babylon" for modern society. Much like Caesarea Philippi, ancient Babylon was a "pagan-but-spiritual, hyperstimulated, multicultural, imperial crossroads" where Judea was exiled.

While it is not a physical place, 'Digital Babylon is the pagan-not-spiritual, hyperstimulated, multicultural, imperial crossroads that is the virtual home of every person with wifi, [and] a data plan."

This insight helps us to see that while our modern society is drastically different from ancient Babylon and Caesarea Phillipi, the early Christians were also a minority voice in a society where multiple voices and ideologies, which were largely antithetical to the gospel were vying for their attention. What we can glean from this is that the current environment we find ourselves in as followers of Christ is not new. What is new, however, is the rate at which new ideas are being propagated in our society. In addition, we are no longer able to leave the world at our front doors.

The outside world is invading our homes and our minds, through the constant media streams pouring out from our multiple devices. If we are not diligent we can find ourselves constantly switched on without a moment's quiet within or without.

Needless to say, it is becoming increasingly difficult to follow Jesus in our modern world. However, if like Peter the answer to Jesus' question is "you are the Christ; Son of the living God," Jesus can be nothing less than the center of our lives. In a world that is aggressively fighting for our attention, we cannot afford to be passive.

With so much going on around us, we need to intentionally and continually bring our lives back to true center: Jesus.

So how do we do that? I think the answer to that question will vary from person to person as well as in different situations and seasons of our lives. The spiritual walk of a young professional, for example, will differ from the walk of the new parents down the street. The important thing is that we reorientate ourselves to him on a regular basis.

1. LISTEN: What does this look like for you in your current season? Take some time before God right now and ask Him to reveal this to you.
2. RESPOND: How might you respond to what He has shared with you in your time of listening?
3. ASK: Ask The Holy Spirit to strengthen you today to be obedient in responding as you have felt led.