18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 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.” 21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:18-22, NRSV)
In order to study the scriptures in some depth, I like to ask questions of the details: seeking the setting (place, time, circumstances, people present, etc.), the overal context (how this passages fits with those around it), and the theme of the greater pericope (a $25.00 seminary word I don't get to use very often! It simply means a section of scripture (not necessarily a chapter or paragraph, just a block of text.) So we will start there.Jesus is very busy after coming down the mountain after his sermon (on the mount-Matt. 5-7). He is dealing with real people now (which is why I am doing a series called Life Stories.) in the circumstances of their lives. He is in some way bombarded by people's problems, all with great stories and real needs. In the 17 verses of this chapter he goes from one healing to another and now "he sees the crowds gathered around him" and he plans to get away.
Why is it necessary for Jesus to get away? Isn't there more people awaiting to see him? more healing that needs done? more ministry to accomplish?
The answer is a big, Yes! But the truth is there are people on the other side of the lake who need him, too. And he just may need some time off to recharge his own batteries. (don't we all!)
What do you think is the reason Jesus is taking off for the other side?
Jesus also deals with two comments about his ministry, one who is ready to follow and another who wants to follow at a later time. To the Scribe (a Rabbi/Teacher who has studied as a disciple under another Rabbi/Teacher and now has become an expert in the Laws of Moses and most likely has students/disciples of his own.) Jesus compares his own lifestyle with that of the scribe and highlighting the vast differences in their world-views. The Scribe would have great social standing (and considerable income) so would be challenged by Jesus' words, no place to lay my head. The other disciple (not one of the 12, but another follower of Jesus, of which there were many!) was seeking an excuse, albeit one that considers the Law of Moses very carefully. His pledge to bury his father was a pledge to the Law that stated very specifically how to honor father and mother. Jesus challenge was a priority reordering, putting God first, even before parents. (that is the way it is listed in the Decalogue (another $25 word for the Ten Commandments)).
What do you think Jesus was saying to these two men?
What is his message considering the greater context?
Jesus' ministry is itinerant, meaning he moves from place to place, people group to people group. It is also an important ministry and should have the highest priority. Jesus is challenging us to see where our priorities lie and just how different we are called to be than this world in which we live. He is challenging our lifestyle like the Scribe, and our excuses like the disciple. This begs the question (at least for me), What priorities have I placed before Christ and how might my lifestyle conflict with Jesus'?
Maybe it's time to get in the boat,
get away for a time
and see what God is really saying to our hearts!
I look forward to hearing from you!
5 comments:
Hi, Chris - I would have signed in as a blogger, but for every username I put in it told me it was already taken. Oh, well.
Debbie Higgins
I think Jesus' meaning in wider context is that Christians have to live by a different set of standards than the rest of the world and we may have to give up comfort, worldly security and some relationships we value. We may not have to wander without a home or the basic necessities - but we need to follow Jesus' example and depend on him for security. If we do, he won't fail us.
We talked a little bit about priorities in the pastor's class last Wednesday and it really was a great discussion because it put a lot of things into perspective for me because we (Tiffany, Hannah, and me) have been putting even more faith in God lately.
For example, we're looking for a house and at the same time I was kind of looking for a job. All of a sudden, I got a phone call from a company that thought my resume was kind of impressive and we just went from there. I will be starting a new job on August 1 and I'm not even scared about it because I know that God is watching over me and will make this transition as easy as possible.
Now, the house is a different story. We've had our house on the market for 2 and a half months, but we realize that it's just not in the master plan yet to move. By putting our faith in God and setting him as our number one priority, he will let us know when that time is right and he will shine that light over that house, or in this day and age, we will find that right house on the internet.
If we were to all just stop for a moment and realize how wonderful our life is and take a look at how we set our priorities, everything else will just fall into place by putting that faith in God.
Not only is it a different standard he calls for, but a radical difference, that makes it obvious to the world. Something that has been challenging me is the idea of fitting in. Romans 12:2 continues to speak and I continue to try and define what it is I am not to conform to. If we take Jesus' words and St Paul's words seriously, Christians' lives must take a pivotal turn down a new path of non-conformity to the standards of the world.
That's an interesting point about fitting in. Why is that some people feel the need to show off in front of others just to get the approval of those other people?
The approval of others isn't what is necessary and if you start living your life by not trying to fit and get those people's approval, I really believe you will start feeling better about yourself, because, it ties in with your point about priorities. If you put God first in your life and you meet his approval and you fit in with his plan, then you are on the right track.
Am I making any sense?
thought-provoking, mootable pv. just my thoughts, well anyways gl & be chipper is what i say
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