Following Jesus

Today's Reflections

                               

 

     

 

Following Jesus

Matthew 8:18-22

July 1, 2013 

www.stpauls.ph.

When Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side. A scribe approached and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest His head.” Another of [His] disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

REFLECTION

Follow Me. We get a sense of the demands of following Jesus from His reaction to two persons. The first one volunteers to follow Jesus wherever He goes. Jesus makes the man weigh his decision by telling him about the poverty and difficulty of the life of the teacher he wants to follow.

Even today there may be persons who wish to become priests or religious because they hope to live a more comfortable life or to gain a higher standing in people’s eyes. Those who want to follow Jesus must weigh their motives for following Him and be ready for a life of poverty.

The second one wants to take time out from following Jesus. He asks to go first and bury his father. Jesus peremptorily commands him to follow Him. When Jesus calls, and one has answered, then there is no delaying.

Weigh Jesus’ call, and then be decisive in following him.