"Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “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 the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." - Matthew 8:18-22
Are you familiar with the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus"? It is one of those "old timey" songs. Great message, but it falls short of Jesus' intent. For many people following Jesus is more of a mental exercise than actually following Him. Living a life of worldly abandon. Consideration for and deference to the will of God being first and foremost in the Believer's life. In the verse above Jesus responded to the first person with "Really?" (today's vernacular) I am certain that Jesus saw the person's heart and knew that they were concerned about stability - a place to live and sleep. He was asking, "Are you willing to abandon that to follow Me? I don't think so."
To the second, I suspect that the person's father may not have died yet. Restated - "Once I no longer have any family obligations, I will be free to follow You." Jesus' reply was - "Following me must be primary - your priority." Loving and following Jesus can look like you are being irresponsible and unloving toward your earthly family. Loving God first and with your whole being means that everything else is subordinate to that.
"And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23
It is a choice that we must make very day - every moment really.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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