Matthew 8
As Jesus healed the sick and performed
other miracles a following began to gather around Him. There were people who
came to Him who wanted to attach themselves to Him as disciples to a rabbi.
Matthew 8 records two such requests, both of which are met with rebuff.
It may seem odd in our modern ears that
Jesus would turn anyone away. For many of us the image we have of Jesus is one
of kind and gentle acceptance. We should make no mistake, Jesus was kind and
gentle with the broken, and He is the friend of sinners, but that does not
equate to acceptance. Jesus takes us as we are and, as He does so, He washes us
of our sin and changes us to live a new life. Living that new life will place
us in opposition to the world’s comforts and priorities – some of which might
even be good comforts and noble priorities.
Jesus tells the first man who said he
desired to follow Him that He was homeless. (Literally, He says He has no place
to “lay His head,” which is interesting as the next section of the reading
finds Him laying His head in a boat in the midst of a storm.) Following Jesus
will cause us to be uncomfortable in this world. We will recognize more and
more that we are not at home, and earthly comforts will not satisfy us. On the
other hand, we will find that wherever we go we can be “at home” for this is
still our Father’s world and we can rest peacefully amid life’s storms. We are
citizens of a heavenly kingdom who are sojourning here.
The second man who desired to follow
Jesus wanted to go bury his father first, and Jesus tells him to let the dead
bury their own dead, but his priority should be to follow Him. This is not to
say we should have no care for our parent’s earthly remains, but that our
priority is faithfully following the Lord. Even our family should not distract
us from our savior, as uncomfortable as that may be to us.
Both of these issues – earthly comfort
and family relationships – hit on the issues of identity and security in this
world. In the midst of the storm Jesus asked the disciples why they were
afraid. It seems like and question with an obvious answer. Yet when our
identity and security are wrapped up in who Jesus is – our crucified and risen
savior – we can have confidence to face every trouble or danger the world
throws at us, because the One we follow is sufficient to bring us safely home.
Lord Jesus, help me be secure in You as I
sojourn in this world. Amen.
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