Dying to Comfort

Introduction

Yesterday many of us celebrated the 4th of July...our nation’s birthday...250th anniversary...or...(and I have been practicing this)...semiquincentennial celebration of the founding of our great nation.

When we celebrate Independence Day. We remember the courage of men and women who believed that some things were worth sacrificing comfort, security, and even life itself.

Expressing this sentiment explicitly...the Declaration of Independence reads:

"We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Those weren't merely poetic words. The signers knew they could lose everything—property, livelihood, reputation, even their lives. Many did suffer severe consequences for signing.

The truth is freedom ...has always carried a cost.

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Yet as significant as that sacrifice was, Jesus speaks today of a commitment even greater than political liberty. In our passage this morning from Matthew 8, Jesus reminds us that citizenship in the Kingdom of God also has a cost. Following Him is not built on comfort, convenience, fame or fortune or perfect timing. It is built on trusting the One who first gave everything for us.

Giving up Everything

If you recall...before my family’s vacation last week...on June 21st we looked the passage from Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

How did Jesus...the son of God...the creator come to His own creation?

by empyting himself

taking the form of a servant

humbling himself

Obident..even to the point of death on a cross

To redeem you and me...to cover us with God’s amazing grace...to break through the wall of sin and depravity that lives in each of us...God intervened. And when he did...he did so in humble obedience to the divine plan....with the love of God guiding every action in this world.

That’s the good news of our passage today. God initiated our salvation...making salvation...a new life...possible here and now...and the gift of etneral life with God when our time on earth is past.

Matthew 8

In our passage we read Matthew 8:18-22

Matthew 8:18–22 ESV

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 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.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

In the context of chapter 8...these verses come immediately after several miraculous healings...and just before Jesus’ miraculous calming of the storm at sea.

We are told the crowds were following Jesus. If Jesus were desiring earthly fame and power...he’d had played to the crowds....as it was...he tried to escape the crowds...he ordered his disciples to get and the boat and go to the other side of the sea.

Jesus wasn’t...and isn’t...seeking crowds...he is always seeking disciples...and that is not a comfortable place.

Crowds want to be placated...disciples...want peace...through learning and living out the truth from their teacher.

Two Disciples

Two disciples are mentioned in this passage.

One was a Scribe (a person of higher knowledge and education). Back in Jesus’ day disciples would choose the Rabbi they followed...in God’s case...He chose his disciples.

In Jesus’ day the disciple would share in the glory of their teacher...the greater the teacher...the greater the rewards for his followers.

Jesus discerns what’s at the heart of each disciple’s statements. To the Scribe who says “I’ll follow you wherever you go.” Jesus says a strange statement about foxes and birds having a place to go but the son of man (a reference to him being the Messiah) has no where to go.

The Scribe’s heart was in sharing in the benefits of following Jesus...the social status. Jesus destroys this desire by saying… Hey man, I’m a homeless itenerate preacher...you follow me....your social status and comfor go “bye bye.”

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To the next Jesus can sound harsh when he says “Lord, let me go bury my father first.” To which Jesus responds… “Follow me...and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Many commentators believe this is in refernece to the family social obligations of either taking care of the affairs of his father’s estate...which could take up to a year or more....or that His father was still alive...and he would follow Jesus after his father dies and he mourns and takes care of the affairs of his father.

Either way...the point is...this disciple desired to delay following Jesus.

Jesus insisted...FOLLOW ME...comes first. Everything else...and I mean EVERYTHING else...including family obligations...must take a back seat to following God.

Application

(slides)

These are not easy saysing by Jesus...but they are mant to cut to the quick. What’s the old saying? “Talk is Cheap”...we can all talk the game of following Jesus...beleiving in God and the Bible and desireing to do so with all our hearts...but...oh there’s that word...that pesky conjunction… ‘but’...but we want to do in in our way...on our time...to fit with our understanding of life’s priorities.

Closing

Friends...the fireworks parades are over.

Many flags will eventually come down.

But every morning, Christ still says the same two words:

"Follow Me."

The question is not whether we celebrate freedom one weekend each year.

The question is whether we are willing to surrender our comfort (are we willing ot sacrifice) every day for the One who surrendered and sacrificed everything for us.

Following Jesus...is worth the cost. Thanks be to God...AMEN.