Just a Minute, Jesus

Genesis 24:52-26:16 Matthew 8:18-34 Psalm 10:1-15 Proverbs 3:7-8

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” - Matthew 8:22 TNIV

At first glance, this is a rather cruel thing for Jesus to say. Why would a loving God refuse someone burying a recently departed father? One might ask, why was the man out listening to Jesus if his father had just died and need to be buried? It is more likely the man’s father was still alive and he wanted to wait until his father died before becoming a follower of Jesus. This man may have been afraid his father would disown him if he followed Jesus and His teachings. So, the easy thing to do would be to wait until Dad died, he gets his inheritance, then he can follow Jesus comfortably.

The thing is Jesus wants our hearts and lives now. He doesn’t want us to be embarrassed about Him, or to put Him off in fear of what somebody might think and how they’ll treat us because of it. Either we are proud to have Him as King of our lives or we aren’t. This doesn’t mean we stop caring about those who don’t follow Jesus. It simply means He has to come first in our lives, without fear of anyone else’s opinion. And who knows, maybe these people whose opinions we’re worried about will be drawn to Jesus because of the choice we’ve made.

Lord Jesus, we want You to be King of our lives today. We want to follow You without delay or fear of what other people might say or think or do to us. Give us the courage and strength we need to live boldly for You. Let this love inspire the people who know us to want to know You, too. Amen.