A Three-Legged Race - Part 2

To be yoked with Jesus is to be united with Him, as in being tied to Him in a three-legged race. The wisdom of the world says that this would not work, that it would be cumbersome and affect one’s freedom and mobility. The paradox is that only when we are tied to Jesus will we find true freedom and restfulness – because He is the only one who knows how to run. He is the Master of the race and knows all about the rhythm, direction and ways of running well. The ones who are united with Him will eventually win the race.

In daily living this means that when we wake up we consciously acknowledge His presence with us. We submit ourselves to Him, promising to go where He is going and to do what He is doing (John 12:26).

Often the ‘normal’ pattern is that Jesus may be acknowledged in the morning (at least for some believers), but He is soon forgotten as the demands of the day’s activities take over.

Life is then lived in one’s own strength and wisdom. Jesus may again be remembered before the person goes to sleep, if one is not preoccupied with the day’s successes and failures, and with the following day’s expectations. Such a lifestyle brings weariness and a heavy burden to the soul – the very condition from which Jesus invites us to come and rest.

To be apprenticed to Jesus, to be with Him, means that we will have a conscious sense of His presence, and our desire and ambition will be to follow Him and learn from Him.

We will discover how He relates to the Father and to people, how He thinks and speaks, how He handles criticism and opposition, how He responds to human need, how He suffers, what brings Him joy or grief, how He pursues righteousness, how He handles temptation – how He is truly human as well as the Son of God. We are able to make these discoveries by prayerfully reading the Gospels, and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within us.

By observing Him in close quarters, learning from Him, and submitting to Him, we will find ourselves becoming more and more like Him. Our steps will be in step with His, our pace will keep time with His. Initially we may stumble and struggle as the ‘ropes’ cut in, but over time, if we keep at it, we will be running gracefully.

The Christian life is like a three-legged race, in which we are to be united with Jesus and yoked to Him. We will find out that it is His race we are called to run. All other races are an illusion and bring endless weariness and emptiness. We all need to hear the gentle invitation of our Master and Teacher.

Discussion Questions:

Discuss how our baptism unites us with Jesus (Romans 6:1-10). In what way does this make us apprentices of Jesus? In practical terms, what does it mean to be apprenticed to Jesus? What difficulties and distractions do the apprentices of Jesus face as they follow Jesus?

How can we improve the way we closely observe Jesus and seek to emulate Him in all that we think, say and do? How do the Word and the Spirit help us in this holy pursuit?