Jesus call to “follow me” requires us to die to self in order that we may find true life in him. As followers of Christ, we now live for God’s kingdom, and it is our privilege to obey the King’s commission: to make disciples of all nations. One of the underlying themes of the gospel according to Matthew is the idea of what it means to follow Jesus. This is a theme throughout the gospels. In Matthew 8, we see that Jesus has become very popular, and he has people coming up to him and saying, "Hey Jesus! Let me be your disciple!” My guess is that everybody thought it’d be pretty cool to say that you hung out with Jesus.
I have a feeling Jesus had those that thought following Him was going to be easy and a way to be popular. So, He set some things straight; He says some tough stuff here to those who think that following Jesus is a life of luxury and glamour. “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.”
I love how God wants us to know the hard stuff as well as the blessings. I appreciate that Scripture is brutally honest. God knows our tendencies to want to do the easy stuff- to follow the fastest and easiest path so when Jesus calls us to follow Him, God wants us to have our eyes wide open. God’s Word never sugar coats His will and His desires for His followers. Jesus is being brutally honest here. He lets it be known that following him is no picnic. It’s not always easy being a follower of Jesus. In our passage we see people following- interested in Jesus, but not totally ready for commitment- they think they are- “I will follow you wherever you go.” And we see those that say they want to go, BUT- always a but… and lay out their excuses for not doing it now.
When I read this passage, I hear Him asking the question: are you REALLY sure you want to do this? He gives those that sound ready, those that are jumping in thinking- wow this is going to be the life, a pause button. Disciples not only believe in Jesus; they live for him. They’re believers who have decided that the status quo of their spiritual life isn’t good enough, and they want more of Jesus and what he has to offer, in spite of the costs.
Some of you may remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff. He said when he first came to the United States from Russia; he wasn’t prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He says, "On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk--you just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice--you just add water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to my self, what a country!"
Well, the truth of the matter is that if we’re not careful, we can get the idea that following Jesus is just as easy as getting instant milk. So, let’s look at a couple things Jesus says about being his follower or his disciple.
Jesus calls followers to sacrifice. He calls followers to sacrifice the security of a "normal" life of ease and acceptance. It would involve living according to his schedule, not yours. So, here’s the question he was asking then, and that he’s asking you now: Are you willing to let Jesus run the show?
The next thing I want to point out here is that...Jesus calls followers to sell out. If you’re going to follow Jesus, you need to put Him first, even above family allegiances. So here’s the question you need to ask yourself if you claim you want to be a follower of Jesus: Are you willing to let Jesus be your primary allegiance? Are you REALLY sure you want do this? If you say yes, I also want you to know that the benefits far outweigh the sacrifice you will pay! I want to point out three benefits Jesus promises to those who follow him.
Benefits of being a disciple:
• A full and abundant life. In John 10:10. Jesus is promising that those who follow him will find a life filled with significance and security. A second benefit of being a follower of Jesus is...
• You gain spiritual insight and knowledge. John 8:12 - He opens up the Bible to us, using the Holy Spirit to give us understanding of the Bible and how to make it real in our lives, and so we can avoid error. Jesus is promising a spiritual "safety net." A third benefit of following Jesus is...
• Heavenly honor. John 12:26 I think everyone likes a pat on the back. I like being told I’ve done a good job, and I like telling people they’ve done a good job. The Bible says that a time is coming when the servants of God will come up to followers of Jesus and say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21. What Jesus is promising here is a spiritual "pat on the back."
The bottom line of all this is that discipleship is, at times, hard. It’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s a commitment to let Jesus really be the boss. And that’s not easy because we like to be in control.
Let me remind you of something: God created you. Each and every one of you. And I’m of the opinion that he knows how to best run things. Think about it: He created the world, the universe, and each and every person- Since He can do all that – doesn’t it make sense that He knows what is best for us?
Jesus has so much to offer all who will take the challenge to really follow Jesus. I listed only three. There are many more benefits of following him. For me it’s the peace and the pleasure of following the passion that He placed in my life.
Knowing that I am in the center of His will and design for me, makes each day, each minute, each heartache, each struggle worth doing, because I know that He knows and that He will guide me through! His Word gives us the promises that we can hang onto and His Spirit lives within us to assure us of His will and power in our lives.
Are you willing to rise up and take the challenge of being a true follower of Jesus, who lives for Him above all else? Do you really want to do this? It’s entirely up to you.
