From the Desk of Pastor Matt

Matthew 8:18-22 (MSG)
18-19 When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he told his disciples to get him out of there to the other side of the lake. As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.
20 Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
21 Another follower said, “Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father’s funeral to take care of.”
22 Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.”
               
In Matthew 8, Jesus gives a tough ultimatum to a well-meaning guy. The fellow wants to follow Jesus. However, Jesus tells him that he’s not ready. The man was told that if he wanted to follow Jesus, he would need to put Christ over his own family. This was a big deal because family responsibility was an even more serious task back then than it is for us now. Jesus was telling the guy how much he would need to sacrifice to truly become an apprentice.
               
Matthew 6:24 (MSG) says: “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.                

It’s much the same message that he offered to the religion scholar. Jesus, I believe, was not saying to forsake responsibilities and life. He said our priorities have to be changed if we truly want to follow him. In spiritual direction, these wrong priorities are called “disordered attachments.” The disordered attachments keep us from truly being Jesus’ apprentices. Our ultimate allegiance has to be to Christ if we truly want to follow him.

Although Christ offers plenty of grace and forgiveness, he also sets a tough standard of apprenticeship for those who follow him. This is the lifelong journey we are on. We must be intentional about this relentless pursuit of Christ. It will cost us, but the cost of discipleship is well worth it!

  “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come                and die.”
         – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Peace,

Pastor Matt