Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-

 Christ: The Great Teacher

Luke 9:57-62
“Follow Me” - Luke 9:59

Jesus Christ is the greatest teacher who ever lived. Every word He spoke was full of wisdom and truth. It is written in Scripture that, when He spoke, “…they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority…”Mark 1:22. On one occasion, when the Pharisees sent officers to seize Jesus, they came back empty-handed saying, "No one ever spoke like this man!” John7:46. It is obvious from these verses that Jesus’s teachings had huge impact. Have you ever wondered, what is so special about Jesus, that makes him speak like no one else? Jesus himself says in John 7:16,18 “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me…The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”

Scripture tells us that many people followed Jesus to listen to His teachings and for healing. In today’s passage, we are presented with a conversation between Jesus and three such followers who expressed their interest to follow Jesus. Luke 9 tells us that Jesus was on his final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem with His disciples, when He met these followers. In verse 57, one of them said, "I will follow you wherever you go." To which Jesus replied, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Then Jesus called another, "Follow me." The man responded, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." To which Jesus replied, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." Then another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." To this Jesus responded, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Why did Jesus respond to them this way? What was He trying to convey? If we closely observe the text, we understand that Jesus was trying to test their commitment towards following Him. He wanted them to understand what it means to follow Him. These followers must have been amazed and astonished at the teachings and miracles of Jesus, that they wanted to follow Him for what they just saw in Him outwardly. Their desire to follow Jesus must have been genuine, but they didn't know the real cost of following Christ. Through His responses, Jesus conveyed the fact that, the journey ahead (towards Calvary) with Him would be a very tough one and may require sacrifices of their comforts, maybe even home and family. 

In Luke 9:23, Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." This is what it means to be a "Christian". Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and take up the cross daily. It means to renounce oneself in all respect and surrender completely to His will. Taking up our cross means our willingness to embrace suffering, shame, and even death, for the sake of Christ. Following Jesus means, we treasure Him more than anything else and live a life of total surrender and obedience to Him every moment. Apostle Paul says in Phil 3:8,9 "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him...". This is what Christ expects from all His disciples.

Reflection: Is Jesus Christ your Master? If yes, how committed are you to your Master? Do you treasure Him above everything? Do you count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ? 
 
Prayer
Lord, forgive us for not treasuring you enough. Forgive us for not living a life of total surrender and obedience to You. We commit ourselves into Your hands. Change us and mould us to be Your true disciples who treasure You above everything and love You wholeheartedly.

Thought of the day
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23
 
Jency Varghese
Immanuel Community Church
Bangalore

Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more