How Much Jesus Do I Really Want?

May 25, 2026

A man becomes a monk at an abbey that requires him to work, study, and contemplate. He is allowed to speak only two words every ten years, so that they be the most concise and profound. After the first ten years he goes through his first ceremony. He walks past the other lined disciples, kneels before the abbot and says, “Bed hard!” Another ten years of devout work and study goes by and it’s time again for his ceremony. This time he kneels before the abbot and says, “Food terrible!” Ten years he walks up to the abbot and says, “I quit!” As the man is walking away, the abbot turns to his assistant and says, “Thank God. That guy did nothing but complain.” Discipleship can be a difficult road to walk, but offers some of the most intriguing life experiences one can ever imagine.
The opening chapter of John’s Gospel is filled with excitement and discovery by some of the men that will become Jesus’s disciples. Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael are searching for something more meaningful in their lives. Andrew has become a disciple of John the Baptist. When the Baptist declares, “Look, the Lamb of God!,” Andrew leaves John the Baptist to tell Peter (John 1:36), and the two of them become Jesus’ disciples.
When Jesus meets Nathanael, He makes him an extraordinary promise. He tells Nathanael, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man” (John 1:51). Jesus was saying, “If you follow Me, you will see great things.” Later, in John 14:12, Jesus expands that promise: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” This is one of the most astonishing statements in the Bible. Jesus tells ordinary people like us that we can do greater works than He did on earth. The key is simple: How much of Jesus do we really want? The first disciples dropped everything to follow Him. They left their nets, their boats, and their old lives. Jesus showed them exactly what He promised. They watched water turn to wine, blind eyes open, and thousands fed with a few loaves and a couple of fish. They saw heaven open in ways most people only dream about. But then came the test. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus urged them, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). They slept instead. When the soldiers came, fear took over. Peter denied Jesus while the others fled. They were not ready for the suffering because they had not prayed. Discipleship can be a difficult road to walk. The same choice stands before us today. How much Jesus do we want? Many of us want enough Jesus to get to heaven, but not so much that He disrupts our comfort, our control, or our plans. Modern idols like control, rebellion, and comfort quietly compete for our hearts. We want Jesus on our terms, when it is convenient, when it fits our schedule, and when it does not cost too much. Yet Jesus invites us to seek Him with all our heart. Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The disciples eventually learned this lesson. After the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, they became bold witnesses. Ordinary fishermen turned the world upside down. The same power is available to us. Jesus still opens heaven to those who follow Him fully. He still does greater things through ordinary people who give Him their whole hearts. This week, ask yourself honestly: How much Jesus do I really want? Am I willing to drop some nets, some habits, some comforts, some control, to follow Him more closely? The promise is clear. Those who seek Him with all their heart will see heaven open. They will do greater things than they ever imagined. The question is not whether Jesus is willing. The question is whether we are. How much of Jesus do you truly want right now? What “net” (comfort, habit, or control) might God be asking you to drop? When have you seen God do something greater than you expected because you sought Him wholeheartedly? It is my hope that you will seek Him with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. The greatest adventures with God are still ahead for those who are willing to give their lives to Jesus. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).