Follow Him

Author: Joseph

Date: March 15, 2020

Three disciples who were following Yeshua saw that His ministry was causing them to travel away from where they were at the edge of the sea, away from their homes and their security. They then realized that continuing to follow Yeshua would become a journey of faith, requiring that they trust in His judgement as they followed Him and left everything behind.

The first man, Yeshua discerned, wanted assurance that he would have a place to dwell comfortably while accompanying Yeshua. He first made a declaration that he was willing to follow Yeshua wherever He went, but Yeshua saw through his words and replied, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). Yeshua stated, figuratively, that if the man was seeking a comfortable place to dwell, then He would not find it by following Yeshua. Yeshua’s life would lead Him not to comfort, but to persecution and eventually to crucifixion. If the scribe was not prepared to sacrifice his comfort for the sake of Yeshua’s ministry he would not have been able to follow Him.

The second man requested permission from Yeshua that he first be allowed to bury his father and then he would follow Him. The will of God, however, could not be hindered by the need to attend to the man’s father. The man’s father could have been simply old aged or perhaps he was ill or even already dead. Nevertheless, the man was not willing to prioritize God’s will and was hindered by his attachment to his father. Yeshua’s response revealed this and also revealed that it was not God’s will for the man to bury his father. Yeshua said to the man, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22). The man’s father and others that could attend to him were spiritually dead and walking their own path of life apart from the ministry Yeshua was doing. Their occupation with burying the man’s father was not a part of Yeshua’s ministry, therefore it was not the man’s responsibility to be occupied with burying his father either. If the man chose to return and bury his father, his attachment hindered him from following Yeshua and also set his life path among those who were spiritually dead – not in the will of God.

The third man requested permission to give his farewell to those back at his home before departing and following Yeshua. The man was not willing to act with urgency to the ministry of Yeshua and instead wanted some time to say goodbye and perhaps set things in order at home to prepare them for his absence. Perhaps this man wanted to see if his family was also willing to follow after Yeshua, yet Yeshua was calling him in that moment, not his entire family. If the man did not follow Yeshua, he revealed that his family ties were more important to him than the ministry of Yeshua and the kingdom of God.

The requests made by these men may seem reasonable, but they reveal that God’s will was not as important to them as their own wills, even if they intended good things. They were asking for things that most people would at least think about and consider before following Yeshua. While it was reasonable in their minds to consider these things, Yeshua stated that He desired their complete commitment because if they were not willing to fully commit, they were not fitting for the kingdom of God (cf. Luke 9:52). While they were allowed to consider the cost, they also had to be willing to fully embrace the kingdom of God, which meant letting go of the things holding them back from it.

"...He creates the best possible life we could ever live, even with its obstacles, sufferings, and persecutions."

Do you desire the kingdom of God, yet hold onto something else more firmly? Be willing to let go of your personal desires, dreams, and your will so that you can be fit for the kingdom of God. When we allow God to direct His will in our lives, He creates the best possible life we could ever live, even with its obstacles, sufferings, and persecutions. What better way to live your life than for the One Who created you and Who will reward you for your faithfulness in the end?

Matthew 8:18-22

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). www.lockman.org