The Cost Of Jesus

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to him, "Lord, I will follow you wherever you go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Somn of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me," But he said, "Lord, let mme first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach tthe kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke 9: 57-62 NKJV

How badly is our desire to follow Jesus?  Dp we drop everything to follow Him upon His call?  It would seem somewhat foolish for one to abandon the risen Lord for the cares of everyday life.  However, this is exactly what we see here in the ninth chapter of Luke.  Oh, the honor of being chosen by Christ to be among His inner circle!  Yet, somehow these men preferred that they take care of business at home instead of heeding the Lords call.  Now, it's not as if these men did not know just who Jesus was, for by this time His name was known throughout the land.  So much so, that crowds followed Him wherever He went.  No, these men knew of Jesus and possibly of the miracles He had performed.  To be chosen by the Messiah should have been an honor, yet everyday life got in the way.  One would question whether these men indeed wanted to walk with Jesus wherever it is He would go.  Did they know of what they were asking?  For in verse 58, Jesus gives a hint of just what they could expect by following Him.  "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Who would sign up for such a detail?  I would have half expected these potential followers of Jesus to inquire if they could return home each night to their families to rest from following the Christ.  As I see it, these men did not fully understand the opportunity before them.  

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the excellent glory: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.  And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in the dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; Knowing this first, that no prophesy of scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
2 peter 1: 16-21 NKJV

I believe that we ourselves can learn something today from these very men whom Jesus called to follow Him.  Not only that, but I believe that this is indeed a lesson for those who will pursue Jesus to this day.  For following the Christ is not a simple cut and dry proposition.  No, for Jesus Himself claimed that those who would follow Him would face various trials and persecutions on their journey.  This is the cost of following Jesus!  But the reward!  Can we look past that which we see, those trials and tribulations which we must expect will come, to the glory which our Lord has promised those who follow Him?  It is that heavenly glory and to be continually in our Lords presence which we look forward to with gladness in our hearts.  But what of the cost of following Jesus?  Can we endure it?  I would venture to say that we have but two choices.  If we choose not to follow our Lord, then we choose the way of the world and a eternity without Him.  Those are our choices, christian.  At times it may seem much easier to follow those desires of our flesh, but this does not bring our promised reward.  Indeed, Jesus is within each of us as He knocks at the door.  He will ask each of us that very same question which He asked of those who would follow Him.  Follow Me?

~Scott~