I was listening to the cost of discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and he was sharing a story from the Bible. He was talking about how being called proceeds obedience and faith proceeds obedience. He shared of Matthews calling and how Jesus called and he followed. There was no mention of a salvation message or a former relationship, just a call by Jesus and obedience by Matthew.
As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Matthew 9:9
Dietrich Bonhoeffer contrasted this with the three that were called in Luke who were following Jesus and made declarations. The first said that he would follow Jesus wherever he went. Jesus pointed out that he didn’t really understand the cost of following Jesus.
Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”
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.”
Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”
But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62
The second told Jesus he wanted to follow him but only after he buried his father. Jesus pointed out that this was part of the law and rebuked him “LEt the dead bury the dead.” We can’t follow Christ after we obey the law. We follow Christ because he fulfilled the law.
Then a third one came and said let me go say goodbye to my household first. Jesus rebuked him too. We cannot determine our own timing and following him. We can’t put other things before His calling. When Christ calls, we follow.
Matthew also shares the story of the scribe and the disciple that made excuses instead of following Jesus despite the declaration they wanted to follow Him.
And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
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.”
Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:18-22
Diedrich Bonhoeffer also shared how Peter had to leave where he was comfortable to follow Jesus. As I thought about that, I realized how many times Peter went back to the boat. Jesus taught him to fish. Jesus had Peter walk on water stepping out of the safety of the boat. Jesus showed Peter how to weather the storm in the boat. It was only after Jesus’ resurrection that Peter jumped out and followed Jesus completely.
I have to realize God’s calling on my life and willingly obey, before I will have the faith to do it. God has called me from my comfort zone to bring me to deeper levels of faith through obedience. When I left Arkansas the first time, He taught me about having a personal relationship with Him. When I moved after college, He taught me how to apply His Word in helping others. When I came back to Arkansas, He taught me a dependence on Him. Now I feel like it is obedience that He is trying to teach me.
Matthew says the cost of following Christ is to deny myself, pick up my cross and follow Him. Those are steps of obedience that show faith in Him.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:24-27
Lord, thank you for this weekend and this message that I heard this morning. I want to follow your call. No excuses, no religious mindset, just pure obedience. Show me how, grow my obedience and faith.
Restoring Voice 
Leave a comment