A Desciple's Choices
Matt. 8:18-27
Do you really want to follow me?
Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash
Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”- Matt. 8:18-27
When Jesus tells the scribe that he has no place to lay his head, he is saying that the life of a disciple is hard.
Jesus never promised us a good and wonderful life while here on earth. He promised us a full life, and eternal life, but this one will be troublesome if we choose to follow him.
We see that today.
Yes, some try to make Christianity fit into the changing world, interpreting what Jesus taught in ways that Jesus may never have considered. We want to be good Christians, worthy of God’s grace, even though that grace is freely given to all.
Anyone can inherit the grace that goes with God’s love for us. We don’t have to do anything or be anyone special.
That’s the good news. But we must choose to follow Jesus.
We should expect pushback on that. We may be called names and treated like a pariah. We may have no place to lay our heads in peace.
Being a disciple of Jesus means being a target for many who view such a commitment as too conservative or too radical. You can be both at the same time, apparently.
It is possible to love someone who lives a life you don’t agree with, or don’t believe is correct for us. Jesus loves everyone. But not everyone will be with him in his kingdom.
That is a harsh statement, I know. We have all sinned in God’s eyes. What will save us is ourselves.
Jesus saves. Yes, he does, but we have to want to be saved.
That is what it means to be a disciple. Being eager to be one with God.
More to come...