First look at Verse 21, the phrase "suffer me first to go bury my father." As soon as a person says "me first" in the same sentence that he says Lord, there's a problem. It's never "Lord, me first." Jesus said you come now. That's true discipleship!
He says, I have to go bury my father. Either his father had just died and he had to go bury him, or his father was sick and hadn't died yet. In the Orient today, they still use this exact phrase for a person who's working with his father at his business. He can't get away until the father dies, and everybody divides up the inheritance. After that, they are free to do whatever they want to do.
He's saying I'm committed to this business, and if I walk away now, I am going to lose my inheritance. So allow me first to go take care of business, and then I will follow you.
Jesus made what seems to be a very harsh and cruel statement. He says "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." What Jesus is saying is "Let the spiritually dead people bury the dead relatives."
Satan doesn't play fair. He knows our weaknesses. When we make a commitment to Jesus Christ, Satan will use the closest people to us to draw us away from Christ. The first two chapters of Job tell us that Satan scouts God's people. He knows what our weaknesses and strong points are. He tempts us according to our weaknesses. When we're faced with commitments, we make them, but the Lord challenges our commitments. He looks right through the commitment and He challenges it. Jesus says, are you sure you want to go with me wherever I go? "Let me first go bury.." No! It is now, you come now!
It seems cruel and harsh, but the Lord is applying a spiritual principle here. He is basically saying that Satan has got you all wrapped up and you have to make a decision between your earthly responsibilities and to follow Christ. And Satan uses earthly things to draw us away from our commitment to Jesus to be His disciple?
First look at Verse 21, the phrase "suffer me first to go bury my father." As soon as a person says "me first" in the same sentence that he says Lord, there's a problem. It's never "Lord, me first." Jesus said you come now. That's true discipleship!
He says, I have to go bury my father. Either his father had just died and he had to go bury him, or his father was sick and hadn't died yet. In the Orient today, they still use this exact phrase for a person who's working with his father at his business. He can't get away until the father dies, and everybody divides up the inheritance. After that, they are free to do whatever they want to do.
He's saying I'm committed to this business, and if I walk away now, I am going to lose my inheritance. So allow me first to go take care of business, and then I will follow you.
Jesus made what seems to be a very harsh and cruel statement. He says "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." What Jesus is saying is "Let the spiritually dead people bury the dead relatives."
Satan doesn't play fair. He knows our weaknesses. When we make a commitment to Jesus Christ, Satan will use the closest people to us to draw us away from Christ. The first two chapters of Job tell us that Satan scouts God's people. He knows what our weaknesses and strong points are. He tempts us according to our weaknesses. When we're faced with commitments, we make them, but the Lord challenges our commitments. He looks right through the commitment and He challenges it. Jesus says, are you sure you want to go with me wherever I go? "Let me first go bury.." No! It is now, you come now!
It seems cruel and harsh, but the Lord is applying a spiritual principle here. He is basically saying that Satan has got you all wrapped up and you have to make a decision between your earthly responsibilities and to follow Christ. And Satan uses earthly things to draw us away from our commitment to Jesus to be His disciple?
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