The Cost

Matthew 8:18-22

"Beware of the security trap", said Mr. George. I met Mr. George in Palawan, an island in southwestern Philippines. If anyone could talk about avoiding the security trap, he could. He had already spent nine years living off money he had raised through Adventist Frontier Missions and working in a village that was so remote you had to hike two hours just to reach it.

I long for security. Why else would I have health insurance, a retirement plan, car insurance, and a service contract for my car? I want to buy myself out of risk. But sometimes following Jesus means eschewing security. It means leaving behind what is safe and known and walking one step at a time behind my Savior.

A man came and promised that he would follow Jesus wherever Jesus went. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20).

It is as if Jesus was saying, "Do you really want to follow me? You must understand where that will take you?"

I love singing, "Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go, anywhere He leads me in this world below." In one sense this song is completely true. The safest place to be (spiritually, emotionally, and physically) is where Jesus is. But if I take this song to mean anywhere with Jesus, there is no financial risk; anywhere with Jesus, there is no relational risk; anywhere with Jesus, there's no risk to my reputation; anywhere with Jesus, there's a good car and home; then I am in trouble. In fact, anywhere with Jesus might be very very dangerous.

Just look at where "anywhere with Jesus" landed Paul. He described his sufferings, "Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm" (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).

This is not the picture of the American dream. This is not the house with the three car garage, and the pool in the back yard.

But praise God it is not. I once talked with a friend's husband who was in training to be cardiac surgeon. We discussed how incredibly busy he was. But we also discussed how exciting and fulfilling his work was. It seems, we came to the conclusion, that the good things in life are often the hard things.

We may follow Jesus and not have a home. We may follow Jesus and not get all the things that we expect (especially as Americans), but what an incredible reward it is to follow him. We can say like Peter when Jesus asked the disciples if they were going to leave too. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God" (John 6:67-68).