Foxes, birds and priorities

Foxes, birds and priorities

Scripture:

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead. Matthew 8:18-22

Observation:

After narrating a few incidences of the Lord at His healing work, Matthew now focuses our attention on the cost of following Jesus.

First, he shows us the incident of a teacher of the law who was so impressed by the Lord’s teaching that he told Jesus “I will follow you wherever you go.” Our Lord, in His usual illustrative speech asks the teacher to consider how even foxes and birds have homes yet He Himself and those who followed Him had no true, permanent home on earth. Indeed, the Lord traveled from city to city across Israel, never settling permanently in one place, teaching, preaching and healing wherever He went.

Considering the expression “the Son of Man” that the Lord loved to use of Himself, we see that even though He is Lord and God, He reminds us that He is also fully human, just like us.

Secondly, Matthew narrates the incident of another disciple coming to Jesus giving the excuse that he needs to go and bury his father before following Him. The Lord tells him to let the dead bury their own dead. It appears, that what the disciple meant is that his father was still living but he was only able to follow Jesus after his dad died. The Lord’s reply “let the dead bury their own dead” is interesting. Presumably, the Lord is inferring that those who do not believe or follow him are already spiritually dead and those who know the truth and follow Jesus have more important tasks at hand. The main lesson here is that we must put Jesus first and follow Him, even above family.

Application:

Not everyone is called to be a missionary, to leave for foreign countries and spending their lives serving God in alien, distant lands. However, everyone who truly follows Jesus is called upon to be available to serve Him, at any given moment, as the Spirit leads. In regard to putting Jesus above our families, many Christians from non-believing families have been thrown out of their homes, and suffered great persecution because they chose to follow Jesus. The true following of Jesus is not an easy thing, but the Lord promises great reward to those who give up for Him.

Prayer:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Praise thee, Heavenly Father, for You graciously provide me with all things that I need. Help me I pray, learn to follow You, Lord Jesus, more easily and courageously. Help me to be sensitive and open to Your Spirit’s leading that I may be able to answer Your call to serve and touch others as You lead me. Let me put You first in my life, Lord Jesus, above everything. In Jesus name, Amen.