November 8, 2023

Luke 9:57-62

Notes From the Pastor's Desk #notesfromthepastorsdesk
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📖Luke 9:57-62 (ESV)
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 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.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

📘Pastor's Note:
Counting the cost of following Jesus - The call to follow Christ is a call to die, to die to self. It's a call to pick up our cross and follow Him, to pick up an instrument of torture and follow Him. All too often, the Gospel is watered down to cheap grace or easy-believism, where it's presented as "Jesus loves you and wants you to have your best life now." Isn't that what Joel Osteen says? He suggests that God wants you to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous, to have a mansion and an overflowing bank account, just like him. But is that what the Scriptures say? Here in Luke 9, three men approach Jesus, and it's clear that they have superficial requests. The first man says he wants to follow Him, but Jesus quickly opens his eyes to the fact that it won't be easy or comfortable. Even the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. The second man seems to have a reasonable excuse. He claims that his father isn't dead, and he wants to wait for his inheritance before following Jesus. Essentially, he's saying, "I'll follow you when I have enough money." Then the last man says, "Let me go and say farewell to my family." Initially, it seems fair, but the problem is that his family takes precedence over his commitment to Christ. Each of these men had excuses and higher priorities than following Jesus. The call to follow comes at a cost, and the question is, "Is having a relationship with Him, following Him, the most important priority in our lives?" He doesn't want a partial commitment; He desires wholehearted, total commitment at all costs. Does this challenge you? It certainly challenges me. It makes me contemplate whether my priorities are in order. Is my faith in Christ my highest priority? Am I willing to give up everything, including my comfort, security, family, and even my life, if He asks me to?

🙏I'm praying for you always. ❤️

Pastor Jamie

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