Can a Muslim Follow Jesus?

Does a person have to be a Christian to be a Jesus follower?

Can a person be a Muslim and be a Jesus follower at the same time? 

Can a person be a Hindu, such as Gandhi, and be a Jesus follower?

Can a person declare no religious affiliation whatsoever and still be a Jesus follower?

There was a time in my life when such an idea was unthinkable. I would have answered with an unequivocal “No!” I would have replied that if a person wanted to follow Jesus then that person had to become a Christian first. 

Period!

Next question?

The idea of a Muslim or a Hindu or one with no religious affiliation being a Jesus follower made no sense to me and I am sure that for many of my Evangelical friends today (as well as some Progressive ones) the idea is simply off the charts.

But is it?

WWJS?

That’s right, what would Jesus say?

Well we may not be absolutely sure how Jesus would answer such a question since I don’t believe Jesus would have asked such a question in the first place. It would not have been a first century question anyone would have thought to ask. But he’s not completely silent on the issue.

First, Jesus never once invited folks to become Christian. 

Well maybe his silence on this point speaks volumes. Not once in the Gospels do we read Jesus saying: 

“Follow me and become a Christian!” 

Let me know if you find that verse in the Gospels.

For starters the idea of a so-called “Christian religion” was  foreign to Jesus. The idea of being a so-called “Christian” had yet to be developed during Jesus’ lifetime. It would take many years for that idea to develop. 

Second, Jesus never said that he had come to start a new religion separate from his own Jewish faith; a religion that would later become Christianity.

Because those of us living in the Western world have too often forgotten that Jesus was born and died a Jew we have perhaps unintentionally helped plant the seeds of anti-semitism by completely separating Christianity from its Judaeo roots. 

Jesus did not cease being a Jew and he was not a Christian.

I can’t be sure but I suspect the idea of starting a new religion whose adherents would be the only ones going to heaven never crossed Jesus’ mind. But this is the way we humans think, isn’t it?

We have this inexplicable need to separate and divide ourselves into the good guys and the bad guys (or the good gals and the bad gals). For whatever reason it makes us feel good about ourselves to believe that we Christians are right and are going to heaven and everyone else is going elsewhere in the afterlife (we think this way politically too—it’s a human thing).

Third, Jesus big invitation was simply “Follow me!”

I believe it goes without saying that Jesus never invited folks to become Christian, or join a new religion he was starting, or sign up for heaven by joining this new religion.

I know this may be a difficult pill for many Christians to swallow. But if we can get past this “religion” thing long enough to hear what Jesus really invited us to do then perhaps the light will come on for usl:

 “Follow me!”

Are you a follower of Jesus in this life or are you a member of an exclusive club (Christianity) created to get you into heaven in the next life?

What we need in our world today is not more Christians but rather more Jesus followers. 

Can you imagine the impact on our world if the number of Jesus followers multiplied among all religious adherents?