Counting the cost
As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God. Luke 9:57-62
From the text, Jesus told His disciples the importance of obedience. Luke 9 begun with the narrative that talked about Jesus sending out His disciples. The challenge in the chapter was God’s expectation to His disciples. What Christ wants is that our word of commitment will be followed by our actions. When God commands a Christian to follow, there is no time to make excuses and the time to respond in obedience is immediate. The tendency is to take our time and act as if there is no sense of hurry to following God’s command. Christians tend to act as if they have the luxury of time to let God wait. Yet, disobedience to God’s command could lead to losing making an impact for His name. This is the reason why the culture’s morality continues to go down. We also miss the opportunity to provide godly influence. Why are you following Christ? Are you following Him just because of what you can gain from Him experiencing His blessings? The Lord Jesus Christ knew the cost. There was no secure place where the Savior will lay His head unlike “foxes that have their dens.” He owned nothing and has no permanent place to rest. If that is what you are willing to sign-up for, to be in mission with God, then don’t delay. Do not let God wait for your decision. Either you obey or not, believe or unbelief, and to trust or to just ignore God completely. When God prompts us to obey, our response will be critical. When we look for excuses as to why we are not willing to obey, it shows that we do not trust God. God knows our situation and regardless if we are prepared or not to obey, what matters is that we trust His invitation and obey. God will provide what we need so we could follow Him faithfully. This is where it fits; our claim that we love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
