When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.” (Mt 8:18-22)
Following Jesus is far from a “walk in the park”.
Jesus made it clear many times that discipleship would come at a cost.
His followers would be ridiculed and persecuted. They would oftentimes lose their possessions, their homes or lands. They would lose their standing in the community.
Yet, Jesus called His followers to cut themselves off from all that would hold them from following Him completely. There was a radical “cost” to follow Jesus.
That same radical cost comes to us this day.
We might lose standing among family, friends, or community. We might lose possessions or prestige. We might have to give up everything in order to follow the Lord.
But, if we do, the Lord will most definitely take care of us.
If we follow the ways of the world, we can easily veer from the path that leads to the Kingdom.
If we follow the ways of the world, we can be led to our doom.
If we follow the Lord, we can never be led astray.
FAITH ACTION: Ask Jesus for the grace to renounce all that stands in your way so that you may follow Him this day.