The Power of our King over men

Mt 8:18-22, 9:9

Matthew 8:18–22 (NLT) 18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”

Scene 1:

Sometimes Jesus words seem extreme.         

Even harsh and uncaring.

Not the picture of the meek and mild Jesus that we see on posters and popular images. 

But Jesus wasn’t meek in the sense of weak and wishy washy.

Jesus was confronting.

He forced people to consider the things that really counted.

When we understand what Jesus was really on about and what he was asking of people we will see these apparently harsh words for what they really are.

But before we find out what was really going on here let’s see what wasn’t going on.

Scene 2: The setting explained

Jesus is on the North Western shore of Lake Galilee.

He has been healing people, ministering and teaching for a significant period of time and he has decided to go across the lake to a Gentile area on the Eastern shore.

Almost certainly to take a break and spend time alone with his disciples.

As he travels along the road to go to the boats he is approached by a disciple.

A man following the custom of the day of attaching themself to a teacher.

We know that Greek teachers of the same period often made enormous and very difficult demands of their disciples in order to test them, to see who was really genuine.

Jesus uses a similar technique with this man.

Firstly he gives an illustration from nature.

Foxes which were a common animal have holes, dens in the ground, and birds have nests. 

Jesus was saying, “These animals have places to live but if you follow me you won’t!”

The claimed disciple was tested.

And we hear no more of him!

Once confronted with the reality of what he was proposing in his claim to follow Jesus wherever he went.

It all seemed a bit too hard.

In stating the demands Jesus was putting a mirror in front of the man.

In effect Jesus was saying, “Here is your claim, do you really like the look of it?”

Jesus wasn’t looking to make this man a disciple.

The man claimed to be one.

He liked what he saw, it was fun, it was exciting, it was the latest hot show in town, so he wanted to join in!

But the good times come with a cost, a cost he wasn’t willing to bear.

In the midst of healings and teaching and the gathering crowds this paragraph seems out of place, until we realize what Matthew is telling us—that we cannot follow Christ just for the benefits.

Scene 3: A disciple Jesus called, but who had obligations

In Luke’s gospel there is another record of this encounter and we learn that the next man Jesus came to he called to follow him.

The man was keen, he was interested, he didn’t give an outright no!

In fact he gave a conditional acceptance.

“Yes Lord, but first!”

Jesus’ response seems incredibly harsh.

But let’s understand the historical context.

This second man, already a disciple of Jesus, requested that he be permitted to return home and bury his father.

This man’s father was not dead or even at the point of death.

This disciple was simply saying he wanted to return home and wait until his father died.

Then he would return and follow Jesus

The burial of the dead, especially of one’s close kin, was a sacred duty in first-century Judaism; it took precedence over virtually all other religious obligations.[2]

One of an eldest son’s most basic responsibilities (in both Greek and Jewish cultures) was his father’s burial.

The initial burial took place fairly quickly and family members would not be outside talking with rabbis during the reclusive mourning period.

A year after the first burial, the son would return to rebury the bones in a special box in a slot in the tomb’s wall.

The man’s father was still living.

His response to Jesus’ call was simply “let me wait till my father dies, and I fulfill my obligation to him.”.

Scene 3: A shocking response to obligation

Jesus’ response was intended to shock His audience. 

“Let the dead bury their dead isn’t a meek or mild thing to say!

He was pressing the radical claims of the kingdom above even the most fundamental obligations of kinship.

Jesus shocked his audience by making radical claims for the kingdom above kinship obligations on another occasion.

In Mark 3: 20-35 Jesus’ family had come to take control of Him, because they feared he was mad.

Jesus used similar shocking language to make his point.

Family relationships were very important in first-century Palestinian society.

But Jesus was not being rude; He was making two forceful and related points.

He was distancing Himself from obligations to family honour for the sake of His greater calling.

Second, He commended those who made a similar choice.

In effect He was saying response to God’s call is the most fundamental obligation of all (8:21; 9:23; 14:26).

Those unresponsive to the call (“the spiritually dead”) may bury the dead.

The spiritually alive must get on with the job of the kingdom.

In the strongest terms possible Jesus underscored the pursuit of God’s will as the highest value.

I know that there was an element of this in my journey into ministry.

My parents wanted me to have a career, a good job, security.

They immigrated from England to give me a chance they didn’t see existed there at the time.

When I told them I was leaving a well paid trade with a secure income to go into the ministry they were rather concerned.

The New Testament does not advocate the renunciation of all family ties.

Jesus didn’t set aside the commandment to honour father and mother

Mk 7:7–13, 1 Co 7:12–13, 1 Tm 5:8, and 1 Pt 3:1–2. [3]

His point was about people’s priorities.

Nevertheless, Jewish writings of the time viewed such an act as dishonouring one’s father (cf. Tobit 4:3–4).[4]

Jesus’ demand would have sounded like heresy.

Scene 4: Truly following Jesus will be counter- cultural 

Jesus’ claim on people’s lives is uncompromising!

There is a cost!

The man who wanted to wait felt that discipleship was something he could pick up or lay down at will.

He put material concerns ahead of Jesus, for he apparently wanted to receive the estate when his father died.

And then in comfort he would follow.

Christ’s answer reminds us that our first obligation is to the Lord.

Don’t volunteer for discipleship unless you intend to put God first.[5]

We cannot follow Christ just for the benefits.

The healer has popularity but nowhere to lay his head (8:20).

His claim is absolute. 

And it is that absoluteness that causes so many people so much trouble.

I will admit, that it sometimes bothers me that there really isn’t that much difference between us Christians and most honest middle class people.

We aren’t really different from many non-christians.

So sometimes I wonder are we really counter cultural.

It seems to me Jesus called his followers to be very different.

His authority over people requires of them total commitment.

Now I am not saying that we all need to go overseas as missionaries.

God calls some to do that, maybe he is calling you.

Nor am I saying we all need to give up our jobs and become preachers.

God calls some to do that, maybe he is calling you.

What I am saying is that Jesus and the consideration of his kingdom needs to be our first question.    

Everything we do needs to go through the filter of; “Is this demonstrating total commitment to the kingdom?”

Am I willing to swollow my pride?

Am I willing to love someone I despise?

Am I willing to let go of past hurts and risk engaging with someone again?

Am I willing to live a simple modest lifestyle to put my money where my mouth is?

Am I willing to give up time, comfort, even seeing my family to go where Jesus says and do what Jesus commands.

Am I willing to go out on a limb, take risks I wouldn’t otherwise take becuase God may be opening up an opportunity?

Earlier this year Central Valley Church sent a team out to Yarabillba to plant a new church in combination with their Tamborine church.

They sent their student pastor as the team leader who had worked at Central Valley since their launch.

They also sent a number of families, families who had lived here in Ripley and invested in being part of the community.

People who had jobs, some of them were probably homeowners with a mortgage who had lived in this area for only a few years.

They sold up or gave up housing leases and found new accomodation in Yarabillba.

Many changed jobs, kids changed schools.

Normal ordinary church people.

Only the team leader is a pastor.

Toni and I have done this many times, some of those here today have done that also.

There is an enormous cost to being a disciple.

The cost we need to be willing to pay is paid in a different way for every believer.

For some there will be the enormous cost of moving away from an established home and family.

For some that will happen many times.

For others it will require a financial sacrifice, living a more modest lifestyle than they otherwise would in order to fund ministry.

To support staff and the work of the church or mission.

For others it will require a sacrifice of time to run ministries, when they would prefer to go camping or fishing, or to the motorsport or the markets.

For others it will require sacrificing career opportunities to free up capacity to invest in the kingdom.

For others .…

That doesn’t mean we don’t have fun, we can’t have interests and things we enjoy.

Jesus certainly enjoyed time with friends.

But what it does mean is that we need to have a different perspective on life.     

And that perspective should make us different, in an attractive sort of way.

Truly following Jesus will be counter- cultural 

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996 (electronic ed.) (Mt 8:18–23). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[2] Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith(1533). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

[3] Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith(1533). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

[4] Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament (Mt 8:21). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

[5] Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible readers companion (electronic ed.) (610). Wheaton: Victor Books.