“At that point Felix, who was quite familiar with the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, ‘Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case.’”
Acts 24:22 (NLT)
Felix was quite familiar with the Way, but Paul was following the Way. Those two words look and sound close, but they reveal two very different relationships with Jesus. Paul had surrendered his life to Christ. His faith had changed his walk, his hope, his conscience, and his mission.
Felix stayed in the middle. He had heard enough to understand what Paul was talking about. He knew about Jesus, but he was not convinced, convicted, or compelled to give his life over to Jesus. The Jews rejected the Way, and Paul was all in on the Way, but Felix wanted to remain neutral. Felix wanted to stay familiar, close enough to know Jesus, but far enough away from Jesus to stay in control.
That is a dangerous place to live. We can go to church, read the Bible occasionally, know the right words, and still only be familiar with Jesus. Familiarity lets us keep Jesus at a safe distance while we stay in charge of our lives. It lets us look like the world, talk like the world, and act like the world while still claiming we know Jesus. But familiarity is not the same as faithfulness. Knowing about Jesus is not the same as following Jesus.
Following Jesus means letting go of the steering wheel. It means surrendering control, abandoning a safe distance, and entering the life Jesus invites us into. When we follow the Way, we will go make disciples. We become willing to look different, to disrupt things in our lives and in the lives of others for Jesus. He is ready, willing, and able to walk with us. He is so, so good. The question today is whether we will stay familiar with Jesus or begin following Him completely.