“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests] and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].’” (Luke 9:23 The Amplified Bible)
Quo Vadis, the film, came out in 1951, and it was based on a story written around 1912. Of course, being born in 1949, I did not see the movie until several years after it was released. However, now I have seen it several times as it has been broadcast on television many times over the years. My latest viewing was Monday night. All the previous times that I watched the film, I never asked why “Quo Vadis” was used as a title and I never looked up the classical Greek meaning until this week. It means, “Where are you going?” I don’t know if this is what the writer had in mind, but I saw the confidence of the Apostle Peter and other believers die assured of being with the Savior. They knew where they were going. On the other hand, the Roman Emperor, Nero, in the movie, a character who had claimed he was a god, really was godless and because of his savoring of power instead of seeking the Savior, he died with nothing to look forward to after his last breath on earth.
“Quo Vadis” made me think of you and me, and pose the question from a daily basis, “Where are you going?” Now, I did not consider the question from an eternal perspective, but I considered it from an everyday perspective. I can explain what I mean by posing a few questions for us to answer, personally.
“Quo Vadis:” Where are you going in terms of following Christ today, considering what you know you will face?
“Quo Vadis:” Where are you going? Is it to pursue your selfish interest or are you going to follow the self-denial example of Jesus?
“Quo Vadis:” Where are you going? Wherever you are going, are you going with a willingness to endure whatever comes your way in such a manner that others can see that you are truly one of Jesus’ disciples?
“Quo Vadis:” Where are you going literally, and how will you exhibit your faith regardless of what you face?
“Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me.” (John 12:25-26 Contemporary English Version)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King