We’re going to look at a second story from the Bible this week, this one about Jesus in Luke 9:57-60
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Just like yesterday’s story, this is a tough one to interpret, since we probably didn’t expect this kind of response from Jesus. It sounds to us like the man’s father just died, and Jesus says he can’t mourn. He comes across as cold and even cruel, but mostly because we lack cultural understanding. There are again two possibilities for why he responds this way:
One option: The man’s father is actually dead, sometime in the recent past. He’s been put in a very hot middle eastern tomb. The son wants to wait up to a year, so he can go and place his father’s bones in a bone box, an ossuary, for secondary burial in a family tomb. This would have been a very important duty for a Jewish son, but Jesus says it’s not as important as God’s kingdom.
Another option: This is a stall tactic. The man’s father is not dead. The son wants to wait until his father dies and leaves him the inheritance. He only wants to follow Jesus when there will be no financial risk.
Following Jesus looks different today – it’s not as simple as joining his entourage on a dusty road. It changes us in many other ways, and we’re going to explore lots of those changes in the next few weeks.
Either way, we’ll be tempted to delay. We’ll want to put off financial changes until we retire, service changes until we have more time, and so on. But Jesus’ response to this man should inform us that Jesus needs to be first in our daytimer.
Question: What aspect of following Jesus are you tempted to put off?
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Yesterday we studied the change in people who encountered the risen Jesus, or who encountered his first followers who spoke about him. 3000 people in one day became his followers! What will change us from busy, spiritually interested people into passionate pioneers of the gospel?
We saw yesterday, Peter outlined some simple steps for those who heard his message: Repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Have you responded to Peter’s message yourself? It’s one thing to study it, and another to live it.
It starts with repentance, is there something in your life that you know is your way of rebelling against God? Is there something you know God didn’t create you to do, but you’re doing it anyway? Something you know God would want his followers to do, but you aren’t? Is there a way you are missing the mark, and not being who God created you to be, by putting other things before him? This is called sin, and whatever that looks like in your life, now is the time to turn and go a new direction. In other words, to repent, and to change your heart and your actions.
Here is a prayer you can pray to confess your sins, but be sure to make it specific in your actual prayer to God.
Confess: Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
Have you been baptized? If you’ve never been baptized before, never shown on outside what God is changing on the inside, this is your chance. Let me know and we can baptize you like April and her daughter a few months ago, which was a big celebration for our community.
Finally, Peter says to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is God’s guidance and comforting presence in your life mission, which is to know and love God, and help others do the same.
Challenge: Where do you find yourself? If you haven’t repented, pray the prayer above. If you haven’t been baptized, contact Ryan. If you have done both, then ask the Holy Spirit to guide your next step. Who can you tell about this important part of your life? Where’s he calling you to serve and love others? Take a step in faith.
See you tomorrow, when we’ll spend some more time in prayer. See you then.
