Matthew 8:18-22 (NIV)

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Reflection:

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Following the call of Jesus is not an escape or vacation from the realities of life, but instead challenges the very core of how we view and live our lives. It shakes our foundation and poses a threat to the way we ‘know and follow’ life. And this call is costly because it turns the norm into abnormality, unsettling both tradition and culture that we like to settle into. But ultimately, this call transforms because of the One we are following. And this transformation brings God’s love into where there was never love.

Responding to the Transmission:

Today, may we consider afresh the cost of following our Lord and Savior. It requires our death, us dying to the tyranny of self. Let’s pray and ask for willing hearts. Let’s pray for an increase and overflow of His love to pour into and out of our lives, so that others will be able to see, taste and experience His love.