Luke 9:57-62: “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘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.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”
The Kingdom of God is not about returning to what it used to be—the “good ‘ol days.” Nor is it about maintaining the status quo. The Kingdom of God is about moving forward and changing our world by the demonstration and proclamation of the Gospel. Many people may like the idea of following Jesus, but there is a cost, and if we just want a comfortable life, we may disqualify ourselves.
God wants to bless His children. Throughout Scripture there are many places where we are promised life to the abundance. But the call to follow Jesus must be understood as a call to live sacrificially. In the passage following the quote above, Jesus sends out 72 disciples, commissioning them to go heal the sick and preach the Kingdom of God. Even though the disciples knew the cost of following Jesus, they were ready to go. We are in a time when we must be ready to go. Things have changed—have you noticed? So many of the routines of life have been turned upside-down in the past year. This has caused a lot of discomfort and pain. But it also creates opportunities.
Embrace the opportunities that change brings. As a church, our purpose has not changed. A well known saying in Church leadership is “Marry the message, not the method.” Our message will never change, but how we communicate it must change. As we learn how to minister the gospel in our day, let’s not fear taking risks or enduring discomfort to share Jesus. Maybe that means you wear a mask as a way to respect others' health concerns, even if you are not concerned. Maybe it means learning how to interact online in ways that build community and open up others to hear the love of Jesus. Maybe it means setting aside your opinions in order to better understand and love your neighbors.
Thankfully, unlike Jesus, we have a place to lay our heads. But let’s not allow ourselves to be lulled into complacency by being intoxicated by comfort. Let’s be like the 72 disciples willing to risk it all to see Jesus change lives.