I Wish Jesus Hadn't Said That

Book excerpt: Jesus never said that following him would be easy. We’ve read the words countless times: “Love your enemies,” “You cannot serve both God and money,” “Take up your cross and follow me.” Theoretically we believe them. But do we engage what Jesus says in a way that prompts action? The truth we avoid talking about is that being a follower of Jesus is terribly inconvenient—a pain in the neck at times—because it cuts across so many of our natural desires. But there is an even greater danger in avoiding what Jesus says. If we harden our hearts to the teachings of Jesus, we will never find true happiness. In this powerful new book, author Steve Timmis calls all believers to consider ten sayings of Jesus that reveal where our affections lie. He reminds us that Christians are called to abandon, not cherish, the ways of the world and reject, not pursue, the things that afford us status, prestige, and pleasure. As followers of Jesus we must grapple with what it means to follow him, and accept his verdict on what constitutes the good life—no matter how counter-cultural it may seem. Doing so will powerfully reorient our hearts.