Matthew 8: 18-27  What does it mean.. really.. to be a disciple of Jesus?  Matthew tells us that the crowds were beginning to surround Jesus.  He had healed so many.. He had cast out demons.. He had preached the good news of the kingdom.. and it all sounded so good! But, were they willing to be true disciples?

Even a scribe wanted to join Jesus and follow Him.  But, Jesus told him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."   Jesus never owned His own home in Israel. He didn't own land.  He had no earthly resources to offer.  To follow Him means sacrifice and even suffering. To follow Jesus.. we have to not follow any other way. We don't know if the scribe followed Him anyway.. or if he turned back from the narrow way. What about you?

Another man wanted to follow Jesus, but he asked, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father."  Sounds like a reasonable thing to ask.. but Jesus makes it clear.. we must put first things first. To follow Jesus is to seek His kingdom and His righteousness.. before every worry.. before every need.. and before every other person. Even family..  Later Jesus would say, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.. " ( Matthew10:38)   Luke uses even stronger words.. "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. " ( Luke 14:26)   I recently read a story that talked about this.. that helped me understand this a little better..  for this is a difficult thing to grasp. The author put it this way.. to "hate" as used here is to hold lightly..  as if there is no account.. to let go of whatever and whoever would come between us and following Jesus... even our families.. even our own lives.  

Jesus got into the boat and His disciples followed.  Everything was good.. until the storm came up.  It was a terrible storm!  Even the fishermen were scared.... "the boat was covered with the waves"!  But, Jesus was sleeping!  Unbelievable to the frantic men.  So they woke Him up, "Save us Lord; we are perishing!"   They had enough faith to believe He could save them.. but not enough to be unafraid.  "Why are you so timid, you men of little faith?" 

Jesus "rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm."  They marveled that "even the winds and the sea " obeyed Him.  Did their "little faith" grow a bit more?  Did they understand the authority of Jesus any deeper?  Do we? Have we learned to trust Him in the storms of life?

Father in heaven, bless Your holy Name, we pray.... so that the whole earth would see Your greatness and Your glory.. that the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ would shine forth!  Help us.. the disciples of Jesus Christ..,to lay aside every encumbrance and run the race set before us. Give us greater faith.. to lay down our lives and take up our crosses and follow Him.. no matter what the cost.  O, we have no power to do this on our own.. so we ask for Your Spirit to strengthen us for what ever storms we might be facing. May we stand firm and keep on standing.. in truth.. in righteousness.. in peace.. in the Word and by the Spirit.   Jesus, be our helmet of salvation and our shield of faith we pray, in Your holy name. amen.