“When Jesus saw large crowds around Him, He gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. A scribe approached Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go! ” Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”” Matthew 8:18-20 HCSB
Was this scribe ready to follow Jesus at the cost of a home and a bed? I often feel like I want to follow Jesus in every circumstance but if I were brutally honest, I have terms and conditions that have been preset within me by our enemy. I think many of us do.
I remember one day thinking, “I’d like to go minister in Bihar India”. But there are people on my street whom I haven’t met. There are clients at my work that I haven’t shared the gospel with; Co-workers as well. I have the desire but lack the ability, or perhaps the boldness. I can do nothing apart from Christ.
This scribe in his arrogance says, “l will follow you wherever you go”, but we don’t hear anything about him following this encounter. The only way we can truly be effective is if we are called and empowered by the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the first steps is to count the cost and to look to him to help us in our counting the cost. You and I will not “figure it out” apart from him giving us eyes to see.
I’d like to encourage us as believers to pray that God open our eyes that we see more clearly, and then read this article below. I feel it ties in nicely with the direction this post is going. Thank you.
https://www.gotquestions.org/count-the-cost.html
Lastly, I will not say with arrogance, “I will follow you wherever you go”. Apart from Christ, I can do nothing. God please empower me by the Holy Spirit and lead me to follow Jesus without conditions. Help me count the cost with Godly wisdom. Help me see. Amen
“Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:33
