Matthew 8:18-22
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, He gave orders to go over to the other side.
19 And a scribe came up and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
20 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.” 21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” (ESV)
It is impossible to follow the Lord in your own strength.
He said to His disciples that it would not be easy to follow Him.
There are two prospective followers in the text:
- A Hasty Scribe.
The Lord had no home, wasn’t here to be rich or famous, but to be the Redeemer of a lost humanity. To follow Him at that time would mean that you have to leave everything. You need to count the cost if you want to be His follower. If there is anything or anyone you are attached to more than the Lord, you will be a bad disciple.
The problem in Christianity is that there are things and people who are more important than the Lord Jesus. We must examine our hearts to see whether we are in the faith. Being His disciple is going to cost you everything in this world. - A Reluctant Disciple.
We must be willing to pay the price to be a disciple.
Jesus often told followers to put Him before their loved ones.
If something or someone is more important than Jesus, then it is wrong.
Occupations that force people to neglect their families and the Lord is twice removed from righteousness.
Do people around you know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important in your life?