A Thought

“Another of Jesus’ disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father [then I will follow You]’.  But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’”  Matthew 8:21-22

Scholars suggest this man’s father was not yet dead because the Law would have kept him from being out and about if his father had just died.  So it would seem the man was bound by another obligation he felt tied to, family and perhaps social obligations more important than getting on board with Christ.  Jesus returned with a rather sober reminder that, in essence, he would be choosing death in the world over life in Christ! 

It has been said Jesus calls disciples, but He has no use for stragglers; people who say they have other, more important obligations (the way of the world) to first deal with and answer before they can (or will) commit to the Lord (the way of the Cross and, ultimately to Life).  We have plenty of excuses that have more to do with a social orientation by which we have been conditioned, but these excuses – even with the best of intentions – only put us in the same category of this man who delayed his commitment in favor of other (more important to him) obligations and would be, according to Jesus’ words, choosing death.

If there is something holding us back, we must decide whether it is more important than a life of discipleship.  We must know if there is something that prevents us from fully embracing the life the Lord calls us to.  We must choose “this day whom we will serve”; not tomorrow.

Blessings,

Michael