Matthew 8:18-22: Followers
Friday, May 20, 2022
We say: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you will go . . .
Jesus says: Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head . . .
God says: These may seem like sad words to you but they express a reality. I knock on the doors of those who ask for my help yet so often no one answers because they see a beggar, a woman, one suffering from disease, an outcast outside their comfortable home. When you see the least of my people you see me. Remember that I am meek and humble of heart. I am a child coming to your with nowhere to lay my head. I look for refuge with you even as you look for me.
We say: Lord, let me go first and bury my father . . .
Jesus says: Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead . . .
God says: These words may sound harsh but again, they tell of a reality that I see. My children concern themselves for that which is already gone, for that which they cannot control, for that which is mine to handle. When I make plans for you to learn the lessons that will soften your heart and unbend your stiff neck, I do this out of love. I have plans for your wholeness and unity in me. I do not have plans for your woe. I have plans for your happiness and love through me. I do not have plans for your pain. I have plans to heal your suffering and to transform our heart; I do not have plans for your ruin. I have plans for life eternal in me. Seize this opportunity to be a true follower rather than one who would be . . .
Enter the word disciple into the blog search bar and explore the words we have heard so often that reveal our life in Christ.
Click on the images in this post to learn more about why birds build nests and why Jesus may have used this imagery.
Images from: http://emmock.com/2013/10/05/bible-blog-1162/ and
The Noontimes 