Then [on His way to board the boat] a scribe [who was a respected and authoritative interpreter of the Law] came and said to Him, “Master, I will accompany You [as Your student] wherever You go.” Jesus replied to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father (collect my inheritance).” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me [believing in Me as Master and Teacher], and allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:19-22 (Amplified Bible)
At this moment, this is still one of Jesus’s moments after coming down the mountain with the disciples and those following him. It’s almost like as soon as they arrive in the valleys where life is lived, Jesus is putting into practice the things he had preached on the mountain top. First, we saw the leper. If that didn’t make some run away, then what about loving on and healing a servant of the enemy? How could Jesus, a Jewish rabbi and teacher, even think about healing someone who’s oppressed his nation? I can hear the grumbles now; he’s no teacher of mine. Then there’s the healing at Peter’s house. Of course, he gets special treatment because he’s one of the main disciples. Now we come to this moment where Jesus is talking to two men. This interaction with these two guys is humbling, to say the least, and it almost seems like Jesus is trying to talk these guys out of following him.
Have you ever had a moment with your kids where you’re like, “Are you sure you want to do that?Shouldn’t you think about this before you jump into what you’re thinking about doing?” These two men are eager, saying, “We’ll follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus looks back at both of them and challenges them to count the cost before following. The first guy Jesus looks at him and says, “If you follow me, I can’t guarantee a roof over your head.” He’s telling the guy, “I’m all you’ve got! Is that gonna be enough?” When life gets tough and it rains or it’s windy, am I enough for you? When hurt and sickness come, am I enough for you? You may lose everything; is that going to cause you to stumble, or am I enough for you? Does Jesus have all of your affection and does he supply all of your needs?
It’s the same with the second guy. Some think the man is being prideful and wants to go back home to collect his inheritance. I’m not sure what the main reason for his returning home was other than, of course, to bury his father. But still, what we are witnessing is Jesus saying, Am I enough? He’s calling for undivided affection for him. In the Amplified version, we see that it’s a matter of those who are spiritually alive vs. those who are spiritually dead. Let the spiritually dead bury the spiritually dead.
But in essence, what we’re seeing here is Jesus saying, “Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others as you would love yourself.” It’s to love God with your passions, hungers, perceptions, and thoughts. With how we talk and walk, we’re not always promised places of comfort in this life, and our entire being is to display that we love God.
Luke 14:57 “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
Prayer:
“Jesus, speak to me above the loud clatter of my life and the voices of others. I want to hear Your voice above all the rest.”