Anchor My Faith

Will You Follow Jesus?

Scripture: Matthew 8:19-20; Luke 9:57

After being rejected by the Samaritans, Jesus and his disciples move on and ^{Lk 9:57} “As they were going along the road, ^{Mt 8:19} a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”’

This is a short section of narrative about the cost of following Jesus, which is illustrated by three would-be disciples that Jesus encounters along the way. The first one encountered is a scribe who said to Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Looking at verse 19, three words catch my attention: “scribe”, “teacher” and “follow”. A scribe is an expert in handling documents. His duties would include teaching, interpretation, and regulation of the law. It is very possible that this scribe had seen the miracles of Jesus and thought that by following him he would obtain a worldly advantage. The reply Jesus makes quickly removes that hope: ^{Mt 8:20} “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”’ If the scribe were to follow Jesus, he would not obtain the worldly advantage he was hoping for. Is it not possible that many western Christians have this same hope? How many see Jesus as a free ticket to heaven and then an opportunity to enjoy the pleasures and comforts of the world?

Since one of the duties of the scribe was teaching, this scribe may have recognized Jesus as a better teacher than he, and thus addresses him as “teacher”. Remember when Nicodemus came to Jesus in John 3:1 – 2 and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

As we saw above, the word “follow” is linked to some benefit that would be gained by following Jesus; a physical benefit may in some small way be realized, but most likely it will not be. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul told Timothy: “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” At first glance that doesn’t seem to be a positive advantage for following Jesus.

In this first of three examples, the man, a scribe, comes up to Jesus, but in the next two, it is Jesus who speaks first. In each case, as we will see next time, the one asked by Jesus to follow him will give an excuse.

Conclusion

If you are not yet a believer, what are your reasons for not following Jesus? If a believer are you pressing on with Jesus or do you see other things in life as more enjoyable or important? Those who follow Jesus are to pickup their cross daily and follow him. Have you prayed lately about what the cross is that God wants you to carry and are you willing to carry it?