Let the Dead Bury Themselves

Questions given to us by NT Wright:

Where is Jesus asking us to travel, not yesterday but tomorrow? Are we ready to follow him wherever he goes?

Wright, T. (2004). Luke for Everyone (p. 119). London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

What role does sacrifice and cost play in your daily/weekly life?

I am thinking of David’s words

Two Important Words

Life is a journey.

we are all on a journey. In fact this is one of my favorite descriptions of life.

We need devotion and resolve.

the measure of what is important. For Jesus these were come to be all of who he is.

The Key: the Kingdom of God.

For me, in understanding this passage we are reminded of the supremacy of Christ and his mission: to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all.

Obedience is costly.

This is what Jesus asks all of us. To follow and keep on following. To obey his first call and keep on obeying. Other of his famous and more well-known sayings talk about people being faithful until the end. In fact, it is the faithful who receive the blessings and rewards of God.

1 Chronicles 21:24 NIV

But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

Our future determines our present.

The kingdom of God is not just about what happens to us after we die but what we do today. Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God, “your kingdom come on Earth as it is in heaven”. Yes after the disciples come back he reminds them to rejoice not because of what can be done but that your name is in the book of life. It is always a matter of perspective.

We need a sense of urgency.

This will break us out of the contentment we can easily find ourselves in. I believe if we do this we will use whatever tools are at our disposal to reach people. Did you know we reach about 400 people a week on facebook? We are also averaging about 40 people to our website a month. The overwhelming majority of those people are using mobile devices!

We need to be usable.

This is so very hard in a changing world. It is hard not to long for easier days, the “glory” days, or just for the known of the past.

Don’t look backwards.

But to do this we must learn to mourn the loss of change. This does not mean we forget! Mourning and grief require we remember. However, we choose to move forward.

Next Steps:

Respond today to Jesus’ call.

Act as if Jesus is top priority.

Look forward!

Colossians 1:18 NIV

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

“Where is Jesus asking us to travel?” N.T. Wright