Imitators (Week 3:3)

Topic: Week 3- Jesus as Lord
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Ephesians 5:1-2

As young baseball fans, my brother and I played a game we cooked up with some of our friends in the backyard. Pre-fantasy baseball fantasy league. We used a softball and carved out a small baseball field. The fun part: we picked real major league teams, went through their starting line-up, and had to imitate the batter’s pre-pitch routine before the ball was thrown.

Some of my favorites: the Willie Stargell “wind-up,” Joe Morgan’s “chicken-flap,” or Carl Yastrzemski’s “wave-to-the-sky.” We were imitating some of our baseball heroes in the batter’s box. Trying to mimic their unique routines and preparation.

That’s the word used in Ephesians 5:1-2: imitators of God. Mimic, literally. “Live in love, as Christ loved us.” Whoa! It’s a lot easier to imitate Joe Morgan’s pre-swing routine!

This is not an isolated scripture that is pulled out of context; there are numerous references and calls to this very thing in the Scriptures. (More in the next several days.) Nor is this something to dismiss and then move on: “What’s next in the rest of this letter to Ephesus.”

This is part of lordship. Jesus is Lord and, as followers of him, we seek to do just that: follow him and be transformed into his likeness. We will do this imperfectly, but that doesn’t mean we write this off. We confess, ask forgiveness (sometimes, asking forgiveness from the world), and then move on.

Others in history have reinforced this call: Augustine said, “The gist of religion is imitation of him who is worshiped.” Soren Kierkegaard noted, “God’s will is to express that he desires to be in relation with us, and therefore desires the thanks and adoration which is in Spirit and truth: imitation.” (p. 474, The Journals of Soren Kierkegaard).

This is not fantasy or a backyard game. It’s the real deal. Real life. And, when living in this way of Jesus, we know it is abundant life and faith in Jesus becomes more credible to the world.

Batter up.

Question: Where would Jesus call me to follow him, imitate him, and “love as he loved us” this day?

Prayer: Lord God, you have called us to be imitators of you. Help me today to live in love as your Son, Jesus, loved us, giving himself up for us. May gratitude empower me for this day. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen