The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 8:18-22
When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Encountering Christ
It’s good to be reminded of what we already know so we can make sure we’re still moving in the right direction.
It’s why a student returns to their course syllabus: It’s why a traveler will recheck their itinerary, why a chef reviews their recipe, and why a contractor revisits their blueprints. It’s not to learn something new, necessarily, but to be reminded of what’s expected, what lies ahead, and what they’re supposed to be doing.
We find Jesus teaching on a familiar subject: discipleship. Most of us here today don’t need convincing that following Jesus is an important and blessed endeavor. We’re already striving to do that. And so, we come to this paragraph not to learn something new, but to be reminded of what’s expected of us, what lays ahead, and what we’re supposed to be doing. We’re rechecking our compass, reviewing the recipe, and revisiting the blueprint.
Our passage today is comprised of two lessons on discipleship that Jesus gives in response to two requests made by two disciples. The first is a lesson on expectations and, the second, on hesitations.
A scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus responds to the scribe, and it’s an odd response, isn’t it? Jesus doesn’t praise the man’s willingness nor question the man’s sincerity. Instead, He describes the unglamorous and uncomfortable conditions involved in following Him – you will sacrifice the creature comforts of this world. It’s a lesson on expectations. It’s been said that between expectation and reality lives disappointment. When it comes to discipleship, Jesus doesn’t want us disappointed. He wants our expectations and reality to align. Those desiring to follow Jesus must grow in their willingness to temporarily forego the creature comforts of this world.
The lesson on expectations is followed by a lesson on hesitations. Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.” That seems harsh, doesn’t it? In Jewish culture there was something called the second burial in which the surviving family members would rebury the bones of the dead after the flesh had decomposed. So, a loved one would die and be immediately laid in a family tomb (like Jesus was) on a shelf-like structure where they would stay for months. After the decomposition had taken place, the bones would be collected and reburied to a different part of the tomb.
Jesus’s response then isn’t so much harsh as it is ironic: “Let the dead (the rest of the bodies in that tomb) take care of the dead. You, follow me now. Don’t wait.” It’s a lesson on hesitations.
For us, He may say: don’t wait until you graduate, until you’re married, until you’re financially secure, until you have kids, until this storm passes, until it’s convenient. Don’t wait until life gets tough, your faced with your mortality, or things feel hopeless. Don’t hesitate. Follow me now.
Action of the Day
Commit to Christ today! Go all-in without hesitation.
First, to the non-disciple. What are you waiting for? You know you’re not perfect. Your conscience is testifying to that fact right now. That’s the Holy Spirit calling to you. Stop putting this off Christ died on the cross for you because He loves you, and rose from the dead proving His sacrifice was perfect.
To the would-be disciple. Maybe you’ve trusted Jesus in the past, but you’ve never really stepped out of the crowd and sought to get on the boat—you’ve never been intentional about your relationship with Christ. Become His disciple, a follower of the one who saved you. Get off the bench and join the greatest adventure there is. Yes, you may have to sacrifice some comforts, but the rewards far outpace the cost.
To the wandering disciple. Maybe you’ve followed Jesus in the past but, if you’re honest, you’ve taken a siesta as of late. You’ve become entangled in the comforts of the world instead of those God offers in Christ. Recognize that you’re never too far gone, you’ll never outrun his forgiveness and grace. There is forgiveness and restoration and blessings waiting for you.
Finally, to the faithful disciple, those excitable followers of Jesus: be encouraged, be renewed and be bold.
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