Matthew 8:18-27
New International
Version (NIV)
The Cost of Following Jesus
18 When
Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of
the lake. 19 Then
a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever
you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests,
but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Just as Jesus told the teacher of the law, He tells us
too that it is costly to follow Him. In
today’s society and probably back in the days that Jesus walked on this earth
it seems like we get so busy with our way of life that we forget who we are
serving. Many, many times we get so busy
doing “things” that we don’t have time for the person that is needing a friend,
a meal, a dollar, or just someone who will listen to their story. So many times we begin to feel burdened with
the burdens of others yet that was the ministry of Jesus, He healed the sick,
He cause the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, and the mute to speak. He didn’t come to have a fanfare of
followers. He didn’t come and live in
the luxury of a home built for a king. He
came into this world, not in the comforts of a home but rather in the filth of
a stable. He chose to walk among the tax
collectors and sinners, not with the rich and famous. When one teacher of the law told Jesus he
wanted to follow Him, Jesus immediately knew this man’s motives and He warns
him that Jesus Himself had no place on earth that He could call home. Then, another man wanted to just go back and
bury his father and then he would go.
Does that sound familiar to you?
Lord, send me wherever you want me to go and I will do so as soon as the
kids are grown, or my parents are no longer around, or my parents are in the
care home or are home with you, and the list goes on and on. “Jesus I will follow you not matter what, but
just don’t let me lose my job.” In this
passage, Jesus is not trying to be insensitive but He needed to make a point
that if these people were followers of Jesus Christ there would not be a reason
or need to go back to the family that was apparently spiritually dead and they
were most likely not going to change that status if he waited and went with
Jesus after they were physically dead.
We have some friends that spent some time as missionaries
in another country. She told me once
that when they left the United States she had a brother who was very sick with
kidney problems and she also had elderly parents. She gave them over to the Lord and went and
did His work. He allowed her to see them
again as they were all still living when she returned to the United
States. Jesus wants to bless us but He
also wants us to set our priorities straight.
How are you doing with your priorities?
I know that mine are not always where they should be and I continually work
at placing them where they need to be. I
haven’t written a blog for several days because my priorities were not where
they needed to be. I can use a lot of
excuses but when it comes right down to it, my priorities were off. The past several days I have felt like Paul
must have felt when he said in Romans 7:
21 – 23 21 “So I find this law at work: Although I
want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in
God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me,
waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of
sin at work within me.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%207%20:%2021%20-%2023&version=NIV)
This past week has been very difficult for me. In my heart and soul I know that God is
working out a plan in and through me. He
knows my struggles, He knows my needs, and He knows me. But, the world comes into play and I begin to
view things the way the world would view them.
I have been looking for work and I had a very good prospect of a job that
I thought I could be very successful in.
I was excited about the possibilities and then I was offered another job
with a lot less hours and a lot less income with no benefits to speak of. I took the job because the other one was not
yet offered to me but I told them that there would be a possibility that I may
be offered another job and didn’t want to surprise them if this happened. Well, they hired me anyway and I really enjoy
the work that I am doing. But, I found
out that the other position fell through and I didn’t get a second
interview. I want to just say that it is
God’s will and I am very happy where I am at but at the same time I am frustrated
and a war wages within me. Why am I not
good enough to at least get a second interview?
What am I not being considered for the job? What have done to cause people to overlook
me? I have always strived to be the best
employee that I could be. Why? Why?
Why? I am frustrated that I feel that
way when I know that God is in control. Then, if that wasn’t enough I was told I
needed to have surgery and I have no sick leave and I just started a job. I know I am blessed, I know God will take
care of me but yet I get frustrated.
Have you ever been there? This is
what is called spiritual warfare and satan loves these battles but you know what? Satan is not going to win the war, he may win
a few battles but the victory is in Jesus Christ our Lord! I trust that today as you seek Him that you
will see His faithfulness and that you too will be faithful to whatever and wherever
He may be calling you,
Seeking Him with all my heart and striving to do His will,
Sheila
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