Serious and Separate
The vow of a Nazarite has always been a perplexing thing to me. In the past, I've read right by it and thought, "Hmm... I don't quite get the point of that", but never taken the time to understand the beauty of it. Basically a person would take a vow to deny themselves wine, vinegar, grape juice and anything from the grape vine. They would not shave, and would not go near a dead person. They would decide on a certain amount of time to be faithful to this vow, which could be anywhere from several days to a lifetime. I've heard the vow of a Nazarite compared to fasting, which I think can be true and beneficial, but I think this falls short of the picture the Lord is trying to give us. The vow of the Nazarite was only for the serious. It was also called the vow of separation. This vow was only taken by those who wanted to be separate and holy to the Lord. This vow was only for those willing to sacrifice the pleasures of this life for a greater reward in the next life. I think this is an excellent picture of what Christ wants from his disciples.
Jesus calls those who follow him to be radically devoted to him and his kingdom, and radically different from the world around us. Jesus tells those willing to follow him to deny themselves, sell all their possessions, hate their loved ones and love their enemies, and to carefully count the cost before we say we are willing to do this. Jesus also tells his disciples not to be surprised when they are homeless, hated, and persecuted even to death. This seems like a vow that only the serious and separated should be willing to take. Part of the vow of the Nazarite was to not go near a dead person. This meant that even if his closest relative, the person he loved the most on this earth, died while he was under this vow, he couldn't even go to the funeral. Jesus gives a similar command to a disciple in Matthew 8. The disciple wants to go home to bury his father before coming to follow Jesus, but Jesus' answer to this request is to let the dead bury the dead. Man, pretty intense huh? The work of the kingdom is not for those who want to start "next week". The work of the kingdom is for the serious.
The old covenant vow of the Nazarite is the example for the new covenant disciple. The vow that was optional for those desiring greater devotion to God under the old covenant is now a requirement for those desiring to follow Christ under the new covenant. We may not be vowing to the exact same things as the Nazarite, but the desire to be holy and separate must be radical and all encompassing. With the new covenant Jesus requires serious, full devotion from all his followers, not just the few who want to go deeper.
We must have the same confidence as those who took the vow of a Nazarite, that there is greater reward in greater sacrifice.
