The Cost of Following Jesus
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 41:10
0 ratings
· 16 viewsGenuine faith in Christ produces radical, uncompromising discipleship that prioritizes His Kingdom above our own–No retreats, no reserves, and no regrets.
Files
Notes
Transcript
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate.” —Bonhoeffer
“Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price, to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.… Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.” —Bonhoeffer
Genuine faith in Christ produces radical, uncompromising discipleship that prioritizes His Kingdom above our own–No retreats, no reserves, and no regrets.
Genuine faith in Christ produces radical, uncompromising discipleship that prioritizes His Kingdom above our own–No retreats, no reserves, and no regrets.
After healing a leper, a centurion servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, and many crowds.
Matthew just told us…
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Messiah has come to Heal our illnesses!
Messiah has come to Heal our diseases!
Messiah has come to bear our sin and sufferings!
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
Why does Jesus withdraw now?
If Jesus was trying to get a “big following” wouldn’t He want to attract as many people as possible?
Wouldn’t He want everybody to pay attention to Him?
But this seems to contradict what Jesus actually did.
He did not attract everyone.
He actually made labors to conceal His location and identity from the crowds.
He did not want the crowds to follow Him in the way that they thought of Him.
The crowds thought of the Messiah as purely a military liberator.
They thought of Him as the deliverer for the people of Israel from Roman oppression.
Jesus’ authority over His followers’ lives–No Retreats.
Jesus’ authority over His followers’ lives–No Retreats.
Why this teaching now?
Matthew has just labored to show us Jesus’ authority over diseases, sickness, and any manner of illnesses.
This was to prove or evidence His identity among the people.
So the authority element is clearly seen from what Matthew is driving at here.
Who can follow Him? – Authority over His followers.
Who can follow Him? – Authority over His followers.
First, Matthew is trying to get his readers to consider the amazing authority of Jesus over all things.
Matthew inserts this section of teaching directly amongst a slew of teachings on Jesus’ authority.
Jesus has authority over diseases, sickness, and the physical realm.
But He also has authority over His followers.
How should they follow Him? – Authority over the following.
How should they follow Him? – Authority over the following.
Second, Matthew is reminding us that Jesus has authority over the lives of those who will follow Him.
If we’re going to follow the Risen and Resurrected Christ, it’s important to remember that He sets the agenda.
Too many people have sought to “follow Jesus” and then end up with a Jesus made in their own image.
Jesus will be the One with authority over what it means to Follow Him!
No Retreats!
No Retreats!
We have no retreats because Jesus has all authority!
We have no retreats because Jesus rules and reigns over all of life!
We have no retreats because Jesus’ dominion goes over all of life!
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” —Abraham Kuyper
Prospective Follower #1
Prospective Follower #1
19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
The Scribe’s were a category of people that handled interpretation of the law.
They handled teaching the people.
They handled instructing the people.
This man comes to Jesus with a declaration…
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Notice this man doesn’t ask to follow Jesus.
He declares that he will indeed follow Him.
“I’ll follow you, teacher!”
“Wherever you go, I’ll go!”
Jesus’ response to him is startling.
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Jesus doesn’t invite him.
Jesus also doesn’t reject him.
He only clarifies the nature of the task before him.
The “foxes” are creatures of the earth, and they have holes to live in.
The “birds of the air” is or “the wild birds” even have nests to live in.
Jesus’ priority of His kingdom above our own–No Reserves.
Jesus’ priority of His kingdom above our own–No Reserves.
Jesus doesn’t tell this man that he cannot follow Him.
He clarifies the kind of reception he should expect to receive.
What was this Scribe saying to Jesus?
“I’ll follow You, if I can ‘keep my kingdom!’”
“I’ll follow You, if I can ‘keep my kingdom!’”
Essentially this man is saying…
“I’ll follow you on my terms!”
“I’ll follow you when it doesn’t inconvenience me!”
Jesus doesn’t tell him not to follow.
He doesn’t tell him to go away.
He clarifies about the kind of Savior that He is.
He clarifies that He is not of earth.
Unlike the foxes and wild birds, Jesus is NOT of this earth.
He has NO PLACE in this world.
This Scribe did not want to follow Jesus at all costs.
He hadn’t thought through the implications of being a follower of Jesus.
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Jesus’ Call to be “Homeless”
One of the greatest joys of my life have been being a husband and a father.
It especially fills me with great joy to be able to come home and see the beautiful home that God has given us.
This is not wrong.
It’s not bad.
I would contend that it is good and right to delight in God through the gifts that he gives.
But there’s also another reality that sits right beside my love for my family.
Even in its most idyllic settings, there’s something missing.
As much as we try to feel at home, there’s a sense in which we’re not home.
And that’s what Jesus is putting his finger on here.
Jesus is putting his finger on the reality that this man wanted to follow him in order to find a place.
He wanted to find himself a home of sorts to which Jesus responds that he will be deeply disappointed.
To follow Jesus is to realize you have been called to a life of homelessness.
Now you ought to scratch your head as I say that.
I think we miss the point if we still make this about material possessions.
We need to realize that Jesus is not just calling this man to go home and sell his house.
He’s calling for something much deeper.
“You must follow Me regardless of your personal comfort!”
“You must follow Me regardless of your personal comfort!”
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Wrong notions of the nature of following Jesus.
Wrong notions of the nature of following Jesus.
First, the title “the Son of man” was Jesus’ favorite title for Himself.
Jesus uses it more than any other title in all the gospels.
This title is used over 80 times in the NT.
“The Son of Man” always comes from the lips of Jesus.
“The Son of Man” doesn’t focus on Jesus‘s exalted state as much as his humble state.
Remember, the Jewish expectation was for a political ruler to come and deliver them from oppression.
This Scribe likely had inclinations of a political Messiah.
A Messiah that would come in a blaze of glory.
But Jesus clarifies that the Son of Man does not have that kind of exalted state in this life.
We could look at the figure in Daniel 7…
We could look in Ezekiel or throughout the Psalms.
But one particular place is Psalm 8.
6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?
No we always apply this to us.
And there is a place for that.
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
It actually isn’t about us.
It’s about Jesus.
Psalm 8 describes the glorious status of ONE man as the head of creation.
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
The paradox of a suffering Savior.
The paradox of the Son of God becoming Son of Man.
This Scribe didn’t understand this.
He missed it.
He was willing to follow Jesus anywhere to get earthly glory.
Earthly fame.
The profession from the Scribe was fine!
But the Scribe had not considered the seriousness of the call of Christ.
The Scribe hadn’t sufficiently thought through what it meant to follow Jesus.
No Reserves!
No Reserves!
We have no reservations because our ONLY home is with our Savior!
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
We have no reservations in following Christ!
Often though it’s not evil things that give us reservations.
One of the things that give us reservations are the small “pleasantries” of this life.
The small pleasantries begin to hinder our personal worship as a gospel loving people.
In the story of Pilgrims progress, there is a place called the Enchanted Ground.
The Enchanted Ground is placed upon the path and makes a traveler drowsy.
It is described as the last place on the Christian’s journey for the enemy to trap a weary traveler.
The enemy places it near the end of the journey because its when most travelers are tired, most tempted, and least alert.
The fatigue of a long journey makes a pilgrim susceptible.
They feel that they’ve come so far, that they can afford a break, but that’s exactly what the enemy counts on.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Wrong assumptions of the nature of our Lord.
Wrong assumptions of the nature of our Lord.
Second, “the Son of Man” is not putting all his emphasis on a worldly home.
Jesus is putting the emphasis on the Kingdom that is Coming.
This matters if we’re going to be a missionally living people.
We ought not be a people that call people to Christ flippantly.
Flippant calls to “Come to Jesus!” are not enough.
Jesus was not Him begging people to follow Him!
He continually laid down the kind of Messiah He was.
He continually laid down the “cost” of following Him.
He continually laid down the “expense” it would take to come after Him.
Expository Thoughts on Matthew Matthew 8:16–27: Christ’s Wisdom in Dealing with Professors,—The Storm on the Lake Calmed
Nothing, in fact, has done more harm to Christianity than the practice of filling the ranks of Christ’s army with every volunteer who is willing to make a little profession, and talk fluently of his experience. It has been painfully forgotten that numbers alone do not make strength, and that there may be a great quantity of mere outward religion, while there is very little real grace.
Don’t misunderstand what this is saying…
We always want to encourage young children in the faith.
We never want to approach them with skepticism or unbelief.
We never want to approach them with criticism about their profession.
But at the same time, we must never approach every “small profession” with making it something it isn’t.
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Untold number of altar calls have been used to lure anxious mothers to drag their children down to pronounce them as “saved.”
Untold number of anxious family members have coerced and tried to look for every “scrap” of evidence of true conversion when honesty would tell another story.
Expository Thoughts on Matthew Matthew 8:16–27: Christ’s Wisdom in Dealing with Professors,—The Storm on the Lake Calmed
Let us keep back nothing from young professors and inquirers after Christ. Let us not enlist them on false pretences. Let us tell them plainly that there is a crown of glory at the end. But let us tell them no less plainly, that there is a daily cross in the way.
This Scribe wanted the “glory” but did not want the “cross.”
He wanted a “home” in this world only, but refused the true and better home that Jesus offered.
No Reserves!
No Reserves!
We have no reservations because we have been purchased of Heaven!
We have no reservations because Our Home is with the Son of Man!
Prospective Follower #2
Prospective Follower #2
21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
On the surface this looks really bad.
If Jesus had a PR guy, this wouldn’t look good on the surface.
Jesus is NOT saying here that this guy should not attend his father’s funeral.
He’s not saying,
“Just leave the burial to other people, and you follow me!”
This would clearly go against other parts of Scripture.
8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
So Jesus isn’t calling us to throw our family to the wind.
What’s happening here then?
This man basically wanted to wait to follow Jesus until his father dies and he could receive his inheritance.
This man wasn’t just wanting to bury his dad who passed away.
Jewish burial practices took a significant amount of time.
This man likely wouldn’t be having this exchange with Jesus if his father had passed away.
Very likely, this man’s father was probably still living.
Jesus’ demand for radical discipleship–No Regrets.
Jesus’ demand for radical discipleship–No Regrets.
It’s not as though this man’s father had passed away and Jesus was preventing him from burying his dad.
Rather, his dad was still living and for this man to ask to bury his father is to live the rest of his life and then decide to follow Jesus when he gets older.
This is a Common Refrain in our Day
“I’ll decide to get my life right when I’m good and ready!”
“I’ll follow you, Jesus when I get old!”
“I’ll follow you Jesus once I get close to death!”
21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Jesus’ answer to this person is,
“You’ll never be ready!”
“You’ll never actually commit yourself to coming after me!”
“You must follow Me regardless of your family’s commitments!”
Wrong notions about the demand on your life.
Wrong notions about the demand on your life.
We worship what we believe will bring us love, acceptance, peace, and comfort.
This isn’t a bad thing.
It’s the core of being human.
This makes what Jesus says to this scribe incredible.
This scribe was under the impression that true comfort would be found in following Jesus.
But, he was unclear when that comfort would come.
He was unclear about the nature of following Jesus in this life.
As Jesus says in John 16:33…
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
This man was under the impression that if he followed Jesus, then it would reverse what Jesus promises and John 16.
He was under the impression that in this life he would have comfort.
We must grasp this to take part in kingdom learning as a church body.
This is one of the reasons why when hardship comes to young believers they begin to be surprised.
They’re surprised because they assumed that following Jesus would be easy.
They assumed that following Jesus would bring comfort.
But when we use the language of comfort or the sense of “home”, we mean the ultimate sense of comfort.
The comfort that Jesus has brought is the comfort of peace with God through the cross of Jesus.
Jesus does not want his followers to be confused about the nature of following him.
He does not want them to be deceived into thinking that this life will be easy.
Jesus does not say this man should stop following him.
But he does clarify for this man the kind of following that he demands.
No Regrets!
No Regrets!
We have no regrets because Jesus has restored our lives to PEACE with God.
We have no regrets because Jesus has promised to bring us lasting peace.
Parents, this is critical to see as we think about our family worship.
This is why we must be diligent in helping our kids understand the true nature of comfort that comes from following Jesus.
We mustn’t be more eager than the Lord Jesus himself.
But rather we continue to clarify the demands of the kingdom upon the life of your child.
So if your child encounters peer pressure in school for missing out on some ungodly event, we must remind them that Jesus demands all allegiance, even in spite of our comfort.
We demonstrate this to our children in the way that we show allegiance to Christ, even when things are hard.
Not just by complaining about it, but by demonstrating faithful endurance, in spite of persecution.
21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
Wrong assumptions about the scope over your life.
Wrong assumptions about the scope over your life.
There’s a sneaky assumption here.
It is essentially, “Jesus, I’ll give you this part of my life, but no further.”
Jesus will have NONE of that.
He will have NONE of a the person who keeps part of his life back.
Everything that you and I do is meant to be done in faith.
Everything we do.
Working in industry.
Parenting little ones.
Working on a farm.
Going to school.
It’s all a calling that we are meant to do in faith.
We have an anemic gospel when we think of our “calling” as happening “someday in the future.”
No, if you’re a Christian you have been called this very day to serve Christ.
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
When God effectually calls a person from their life of sin.
He’s not saying we all become missionaries.
He’s saying we all become pastors.
He’s saying that we “lead the life that the Lord has assigned to” us!
20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
No Regrets!
No Regrets!
We have no regrets because Jesus has restored our lives
Genuine faith in Christ produces radical, uncompromising discipleship that prioritizes His Kingdom above our own–No retreats, no reserves, and no regrets.
Genuine faith in Christ produces radical, uncompromising discipleship that prioritizes His Kingdom above our own–No retreats, no reserves, and no regrets.
