BUT, FOLLOW ME

Matthew 8:18-34
Key Verse 8:22

"But Jesus told him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.' "

This passage teaches the blessedness of following Jesus. There are challenges and fears we must overcome to follow Jesus. But making the decision and commitment to follow Jesus is the seed of revelation into who Jesus really is. As the disciples decided to follow Jesus and remain with him throughout the challenges, they were blessed to know him more and more deeply. They had a privileged opportunity to know him in ways the crowds did not. We see that following Jesus should be our first priority. When we meet the challenges involved in following him by faith, the challenges turn into heavenly opportunities to know Jesus deeply more and more. May God give us faith and courage to follow Jesus as his disciples to the end and to know Jesus for who he really is.

1. Read verses 18-20. As Jesus left the crowds, who volunteered to follow him? What did he offer Jesus? Yet what did Jesus say to him? Why do you think Jesus answered him in this way?

*A teacher of the law. 

*Verse 19: "Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.' " Jesus had simply given an order to cross to the other side of the lake. But what this man said sounded very good. He offered to follow Jesus wherever he goes. It is also surprising that the one who volunteered to follow Jesus was a teacher of the law. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus had largely criticized them, generally speaking. Yet, here he was.

*Verse 20: Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." 

*Jesus spoke truthfully to this man and did not sugarcoat what it is really like practically to follow him--to help this man get the right perspective and heart. According to Luke 20:46, we can see that generally teachers of the law enjoyed getting attention and praise and honor from others more than anything. The man could have seen a possibility to go to really great places by following Jesus. Belonging to the "teachers of the law," he was used to living a life that was far more comfortable. We don't know for sure, but Jesus' reply indicates that he had in his heart the desire to gain something in this world through following Jesus. So, Jesus' reply challenged the man to follow him "wherever" with a pure heart, not to gain worldly attention, honor and such. Jesus did not want him to start out with the wrong understanding. Many times the reality is different from our own idea. We need to get out of our own idea about Jesus, and get Jesus' idea about himself. This man was challenged to find Jesus' places as more valuable than the honorable places he formerly knew.

*Jesus' reply is somewhat shocking. Although he is the Son of God, he didn't even have a house of his own or a place to lay his head. In fact, Jesus says that even animals like foxes and birds have better places (a hole and a nest) than he. Jesus' reply shows his humility. Jesus did not demand to stay at the best hotels or luxurious places. He didn't even secure a small apartment for himself. This further shows the direction of his ministry. He didn't secure a place here on earth because he was not planning on staying here. Jesus became extremely poor, only to make us rich in the kingdom of heaven. So he challenged his disciples to live as he did and put their hope in God's kingdom and not in this world.

*Following Jesus is about following Jesus' lifestyle. It does not equate to gaining a nice place in this world. But it is the invitation to a heavenward life with heavenly and spiritual rewards. We also learn that we cannot follow Jesus if we have other desires to gain things in this world. On the contrary, there may be great material costs. So we cannot follow for the wrong reason. We should follow with a pure heart by faith that we will be taken care of, just as God the Father took care of Jesus who didn't secure a nice place for himself. Jesus was helping this man to get the right perspective so that he could be free to follow Jesus "wherever." As we follow Jesus, we are invited to live as he did. Then we can know Jesus deeply through following him and experience Immanuel God.

2. Read verses 21-23. How did another disciple respond to Jesus? Yet how did Jesus answer him? What does the phrase, "and let the dead bury their own dead," show us about Jesus' invitation to follow him?


*Verse 21: Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." This man had counted the costs, and brought to Jesus' attention some matter of conflict due to a family obligation.  

*Verse 22: But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

*This man had a seemingly very reasonable request. Shouldn't he take care of his father's burial? Jesus neither said, Yes, or, No. Instead, he invited this disciple to follow him as first priority. Jesus categorizes the decision to follow him as the first priority -- as a matter of life and death. This shows further that following Jesus is more important than anything.

There are many very reasonable obligations that conflict with the call to follow Jesus. And this is not just at one time, but throughout all our lives to follow Jesus. The truth is that we are never done with such obligations. When then will we follow Jesus? Jesus' challenge shows that the man did have something more pressing, more important, to attend to that could not be deferred. That is, taking up Jesus' call to follow him.

>Through these two examples we can see that there are critical moments when we have to decide to follow Jesus. Usually, some kind of cost is involved. But to follow Jesus is absolutely worth it. It is a matter of life and death. Following Jesus is more important than anything and at those critical times, we need to decide to follow Jesus.


3. Read verses 24-27. What happened during the boat ride? Contrast the disciples' reaction to the storm with that of Jesus'. (24-25) What did Jesus do after being awakened? How did the wind and the waves respond? How did the disciples respond? How did this challenge turn into a blessed event for the disciples? What kind of faith do you think Jesus wants his disciples to have in following him? 

*Verse 24: "Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat."

The challenges in following Jesus were not just at the initial decision-making moment, but as these guys followed Jesus into the boat, a greater, life-threatening challenging met them. It would not be an easy road in following Jesus.

*The disciples: Verse 25: The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

Jesus: Verse 24b: But Jesus was sleeping.

>The disciples really thought that they were going to die, though they were professional fishermen. But Jesus was sleeping. The reaction could not have been more different. Jesus could sleep while waves and wind were crashing against the boat. He woke up only for the sake of speaking to his disciples and helping them.

*Verse 26: He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

He first rebuked his disciples, then he rebuked the wind and waves. When he rebuked his disciples, he said, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" The reason they were afraid, in reality, was not because of the storm, but it was because they were of little faith. Lacking faith produces fear.

*Verse 26b says, "...and it was completely calm."

*See the disciples’ response in verse 27: "The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!' "

They could not answer Jesus' question. They were amazed and asked each other another question: "What kind of man in this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" They asked themselves a good question.

*Their question shows how this event benefited them and why Jesus slept during that storm. Through this challenge they were able to know Jesus more deeply. They thought that they had known Jesus to a certain extent, so much so that they were willing to follow him. But suddenly, they didn't know him as much as they thought. Yet, at the same time, they were able to know him more deeply through this special opportunity that the crowds were not able to experience. It was only revealed to those who followed him. They could know and experience Jesus' person and work practically and personally.

*By his rebuke, Jesus means that they should not have been scared. When we live by faith in following Jesus, things that would scare the life out of ordinary people will not scare us. Something really scary may be outside, hitting the boat, washing over, but we can sleep peacefully. Our economic situation, for example, is washing over us and hitting like a storm. And lots of people are getting crazy. What should we do? Live by faith in Jesus. Live a poor and humble life like Jesus. Then even in a bad economic situation hits, you can't go worse. You're already at the bottom.

Simply, challenges that come as we face Jesus become blessed opportunities to know Jesus personally and practically through faith in Jesus. It is God's blessing to us.


4. Read verses 28-32. Who met Jesus and his disciples on the other side of the lake? Why were they afraid of Jesus? What kind of authority did Jesus exercise over them? What can we learn about Jesus?  

*Two demon-possessed men.

*Verse 29: "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" They recognized Jesus as the Son of God and the Judge.

*He exercised spiritual authority over them. In this case, they were under Jesus' authority and had to submit to him. Even to go into the pigs, they had to do so only by his permission.

*Jesus has sovereign spiritual authority. Jesus previously demonstrated that he has authority over the material/physical world. Through this event, which focuses on Jesus' authority, rather than his mercy to heal demon-possessed men, the disciples could see Jesus' authority over the spiritual world as well. Again, they were met with a scary situation but when they stayed with Jesus they were able to know him more deeply. Jesus is the Lord of all. Even demons submit to him. So we can be absolutely secure in Jesus through absolute faith in him. Everything is in his hands. So he can help us. And we can submit to him fully.

5. Read verses 33-34. Why do you think the townspeople responded to Jesus as they did? Have you ever responded to Jesus in a similar way? What does this passage show about the costs involved in following Jesus? 

*The townspeople pleaded with Jesus to leave their region. Even though they heard about what happened to the demon possessed men, they wanted Jesus to leave. Having Jesus around seemed too costly for they had lost their pig business.

* Personal question.

*This passage, as a whole, shows that there are indeed many costs involved. It may cost everything to follow Jesus. But this passage also shows that Jesus is absolutely worth all of the costs. And as we go through these challenges to follow Jesus, by faith we can be blessed to know Jesus more deeply. When the moment comes for us to follow Jesus, we have to make the decision by faith to follow him. 

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