Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:18-22; New American Standard Bible.)

Jesus usually called disciples to follow Him. In the biblical accounts about how the apostles became disciples, He usually invited them; they did not ask to be disciples. (According to Luke’s version of this passage, Jesus invited the second man in this story to follow Him.) He chose them; they did not choose Him (John 15:16).

This story explains part of the reason for that. Discipleship is not easy. Following Jesus demands sacrifice. When one person asked to follow Him, Jesus warned him that there was a price to pay. Jesus did not have a fancy house or large bank account; in fact, foxes and birds enjoyed more material comfort than He did!

Contrary to what some preachers will tell you, discipleship does not guarantee material wealth or comfort in this world. Many of our brothers and sisters in other countries endure intense hardship, even losing houses, jobs, and possessions. Their families may disown them. They choose eternal life over earthly comfort. They accept the privilege of being children of God, even if it means being rejected by their earthly families and abandoned by those who once were friends.

Meanwhile, many American Christians try to manipulate Jesus to gain wealth. We assume strong faith will lead to healthy relationships with our families and an honored reputation in their community or on the job.

Following Jesus leads to abundant life, but it is not the life that this world offers. It is an eternal life with Him that supersedes the life that society offers. We surrender the old life so that we can live fully in Christ’s kingdom. We obtain great blessings in Christ—joyous rewards we begin to experience even in this life—but it comes at the cost of the life we lived without Him.

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow Him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at His call” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship).

How has the call to follow Jesus affected your life? Have you experienced loss in this world while gaining Christ? What has He given you in return?

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.