Like Kyle said, we're going to be in Matthew 8, right in the middle of the chapter.
We're going to be in a little bit of a sandwich this morning.
This little nugget is sandwiched in between some big stories of Jesus' power and authority,
some of which we looked at last week with Jesus' power that Mike talked about, exercised for outsiders.
Next week, some really cool stories about Christ exercising his power as well.
So right in the middle of that chapter, Matthew 8.
If you happen to bump into me in late June of this year, or early July,
and you happen to ask what Jess and I are doing in our free time,
I might tell you that we're enjoying the TV series John Adams.
Anybody seen it?
It's a really fantastic TV series.
Jess and I enjoy watching this series every once in a while around July 4th.
It really helps you treasure the sacrifices of our founding fathers as they struggled in the war of independence.
And one of my favorite scenes in this series takes place in the episode
where there is an intense debate surrounding the Declaration of Independence,
whether it should be adopted by the Continental Congress or not.
And John Adams is very for it.
And there are some states who are wondering how much it's going to cost them to sign this Declaration of Independence.
And so there's a very intense scene where the final roll call of voting happens.
And as the names of each state are called and finally all the yay votes are tallied
and the resolution passes to adopt this Declaration of Independence,
you would imagine there would be celebration,
but in fact, a hush falls over the assembly
as they realize the gravity of what they've just done.
They realize that they are all in.
They are wholeheartedly now devoted to this cause
that if it succeeds, it will grant them freedom,
freedom from tyranny, freedom to govern themselves.
But if it fails, they lose everything.
John Adams makes a speech to the Continental Congress
before the vote was cast,
and his words capture this wholehearted devotion
that the Founding Fathers had
toward the freedom they desired.
He said this,
Before God, I believe the hour has come.
My judgment approves this measure,
and my whole heart is in it.
All that I have,
and all that I am,
all that I hope in this life,
I am now ready here to stake upon it,
and I leave off as I began that live or die,
survive or perish,
I am for the declaration.
It is my living sentiment,
and by the blessing of God,
it shall be my dying sentiment.
Independence now,
and independence forever.
John Adams can make a good speech.
John Adams and the rest of the Founding Fathers
personally and wholeheartedly
threw themselves in to this cause.
They held absolutely nothing back.
Everything was in.
They staked it all
on a free and independent nation.
Well, today we're going to hear
a call to wholehearted devotion
in Matthew chapter 8.
But it's not devotion to an idea
or a nation
or a political cause.
It's a call to devote yourself
wholeheartedly to a person.
So before we read,
let's remind ourselves
of where we are.
It's sandwiched right in between
Jesus exercising his authority
powerfully for outsiders,
and then later on
in the rest of the chapter,
Jesus exercising his authority
powerfully as well.
And it's right in the middle
between these big demonstrations
of Jesus' absolute power
and authority,
even just by the virtue of his word.
It's in this little nugget episode
between these
that Jesus clarifies
what it means to follow him.
So let's read it together.
Now when Jesus saw
a great crowd around him,
he gave orders
to go over to the other side.
And a scribe came up to him
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.
Another of the disciples
said to him,
Lord, let me first go
and bury my father.
And Jesus said to him,
Follow me
and leave the dead
to bury their own dead.
So what we're going to find
in this passage
is that,
yes,
Jesus has the authority
to heal,
cast out demons,
calm storms,
even raise the dead.
But he also has authority
to call for our
wholehearted devotion.
Jesus has the authority
to call for
our wholehearted devotion.
And we're going to see
this wholehearted devotion
unfold in two conversations
where Jesus gives
two sober words.
The first word
is a word of caution
and the second
is a word of invitation.
So let's look at them
one at a time.
Afterwards,
we'll see what sort of effect
Jesus' words of caution
and invitation
intend for us
in our lives today.
So first,
let's look at the sober
word of caution,
verses 18 through 22.
At the end,
it will become clear
what this word of caution is.
But let's just dive in.
So the scene begins
with Jesus surrounded
by a crowd.
Jesus is often
surrounded by crowds.
His teaching
and his miracles
exude authority
and people are drawn
to this authority.
But it's evident
that Jesus is also
wanting to get out of there.
Whether it's to
continue his ministry
on the other side
of the lake
or to get out of the way
with his disciples
and have some rest,
we're not told why,
but he's leaving.
So he gives an order
to embark in a boat
to the other side
of the lake.
Jesus is in charge here.
He's not making suggestions.
He's giving commands here.
He's the Lord.
The Lord has spoken.
It's time to move out.
So while before
Jesus departs,
though,
a scribe
comes to him.
In other translations,
a teacher of the law.
And he enthusiastically
promises
to follow Jesus
wherever Jesus
is going.
So this scribe,
this is pretty rare actually.
If you read the Gospels,
most scribes
are not too fond of Jesus.
Most teachers of the law
don't like him that much.
But he's eager
to follow Jesus.
And so we as readers
are like,
all right,
this is encouraging.
He wants to follow Jesus
wherever he goes.
And he's a religious leader.
That doesn't happen that often.
All right, cool.
But Jesus isn't interested
in just gaining followers
for the sake
of gaining followers.
Jesus is after
this man's
wholehearted devotion.
And so it seems
that he saw through
to this man's heart
and saw something
that told him
that this scribe
hadn't thought through
the kind of commitment
he was so eager to make.
Jesus doesn't take him up
on his offer,
but neither does he reject him
or brush him off.
Instead,
he looks at him in the eye,
no doubt,
and offers a sober word
of caution.
Foxes have holes,
and birds of the air
have nests,
but the Son of Man
has nowhere to lay his head.
Now, before we get into
what Jesus is saying here
in this word of caution,
we really need to unpack
a really important phrase
that Jesus just used.
See that phrase,
the Son of Man?
It's the first time
in the book of Matthew
that he uses this phrase,
and it's Jesus' favorite way
to refer to himself
through this gospel
and all four gospels.
It's used over 80 times
in all four gospels,
28 times in Matthew alone.
That's an average
of one per chapter.
Jesus loves to use this phrase
to describe himself,
but it's kind of vague.
So on the face of it,
it could just mean
a human being.
It could mean a man.
Or, there's also,
if you use this phrase
in the right context,
there's some pretty hefty
Messiah meaning
behind this phrase,
and it comes from
the Old Testament.
In Daniel chapter 7,
you don't have to turn there,
but read it this afternoon.
It's a fantastic chapter.
Daniel chapter 7
loads this phrase,
the Son of Man.
Daniel sees God in a vision
after he's just seen
a whole bunch of beasts
arise out of the sea
and get power
and dominion for a time,
and then it's taken away
four of these beasts.
But then eventually,
he sees God enthroned
in power and glory,
and he sees one
like a Son of Man
come before
the Ancient of Days,
coming on the clouds of heaven.
And to this Son of Man,
God gives a kingdom,
but not a temporary kingdom,
an everlasting kingdom,
a kingdom that would never
pass away,
whose glory would never fade.
And so,
it is this Son of Man
that becomes kind of
the foundation of,
oh, this is pointing to
the Messiah,
the coming one,
who would be
great David's greater son.
And so,
in the right context,
Son of Man could mean that.
Had a freight train
of Messiah meaning
behind it.
But let's look at verse 20.
Is that how
Jesus is using
Son of Man?
He will come on the clouds,
victorious and triumphant?
No.
Actually,
he's saying the Son of Man
isn't going to have
a place to sleep tonight.
He doesn't have a place
to lay his head.
He's homeless.
Even the commonest
and humblest
of God's creatures,
foxes and birds.
I was driving home
last night
and a fox ran across
Sheridan Road.
Oh, cool.
even the most common
of God's creatures
have places
to lay their heads.
But the Son of Man
does not.
The demands
of Jesus'
itinerant ministry
in those intense
three years
of preaching,
healing,
teaching
meant that he would
not own a home
or even have
a consistent place
to stay.
He would always
be on the move.
He made himself
dependent upon
the hospitality
of others
or he slept
in the open.
That very night,
he would be sleeping
in a boat.
Jesus' ministry
as the humble
Son of Man,
the Son of Man
who entered
into our brokenness
in order to
redeem us from it,
it required him
to forego
the comforts
of a middle class life.
He did it willingly.
He did it voluntarily.
As Paul wrote
years later
in 2 Corinthians,
for you know
the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ
that though he was rich,
yet for your sake
he became poor
so that you
by his poverty
might become rich.
Yes,
he was
and is
the triumphant
Son of Man
of Daniel 7.
There are plenty
of times
when Jesus refers
to himself like that.
But at the same time,
Jesus is also
the Son of Man
who humbly
entered
into our broken world
and walked
in our shoes.
He experienced
need
and hardship,
loss
and pain,
discomfort,
even homelessness.
Only once
he was raised
from the dead
would it become
clear that it is
the Son of Man
who is both
the triumphant
King of Daniel 7
and the humble
suffering servant
of Isaiah 53.
He took our illnesses
and bore our diseases.
In fact,
he is the king
who triumphs
by means
of his suffering.
He triumphs
because of
his humility.
His greatness
comes through
his lowliness.
In fact,
the same phrase
lay his head
in the original language
it's used
in another place
in the Gospels
by the Apostle John.
it describes
Jesus laying
his head
in another place.
Jesus does
eventually lay
his head
somewhere
but it's at the
very end
of his life
when he bows
his head
on the cross
and breathes
his last
triumphant breath.
Jesus had
no place
to rest his head
until he came
to the cross
at the end
of his hard road
of self-sacrificing
love
for us.
And here's
this scribe
signing up
for something.
He doesn't know
the road ahead.
He doesn't know
the road
that the Son of Man
is going to walk.
He hasn't counted
the cost
of what it means
to follow
this Son of Man.
And Jesus
wants him
to know
that he's
standing
at the entrance
to the narrow gate
and the entrance
to the hard road
of discipleship.
And Jesus
is asking him
whether he's
counted the cost
of following
the Son of Man.
That's Jesus'
first word.
This is the word
of caution.
Count the cost
of following
the Son of Man.
Count the cost.
Following Jesus
is pretty difficult.
His grace
is free
but it costs
everything.
Following Jesus
means taking
the high
hard road
of dying
to self
day
after day
after day.
It's the road
that the Son of Man
walked
and he has
authority
to call
his disciples
to walk it
with him.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
was a man
who knew a thing
or two
about the cost
of following Jesus.
He was a German
church leader
during the Nazi era
and he stood up
to the Nazis
and he led
the church
the very small
remnant
that actually
wanted to stand
up to the Nazis
and therefore
he was a marked
man.
He was actually
in 1939
right before
the war started
he was safe
and secure
in a teaching post
at Union University
in New York City.
He did not have
to go back
to Germany.
Weeks before
Germany invaded
Poland
he decided
to board
one of the last
ships back
to Germany.
He knew
that by doing
this
he would seal
his fate
with the rest
of his brothers
and sisters
that were marked
by the Nazis.
Why would he do this?
He accounted
the cost
of following
the Son of Man.
As Bonhoeffer
once said
when Christ
calls a man
he bids him
come and die.
He would later
be imprisoned
by the Nazis
and he was hanged
a month before
Germany surrendered
in 1945.
Now before we move
on to the second
sober word
something needs
to be clarified.
Jesus is not
calling us
to pursue
discomfort
and pain
just for the sake
of experiencing
discomfort and pain.
Christians are not
masochists.
We don't
just love pain.
We aren't
supposed to.
No,
like Paul said
in Philippians 3
we consider
all things
loss
for the sake
of Christ.
We take inventory
of our whole life
all that we are
all that we have
and we push it
into the middle
of the poker table
and we say
I'm all in.
Just like John Adams.
Wholehearted devotion
no matter what it
costs me.
But as we'll see
in a moment
all that we count
as loss
is nothing
compared
to the surpassing
worth of what we gain.
Let's now look
at the second
sober word.
It's a word
of invitation.
invitation.
It's found
in the second
conversation
that Jesus has
from verses
21 to 22.
Another disciple
approaches Jesus
and he promises
to follow him
but he has
some family business
to attend to
first.
He needs to
bury his father.
This disciple
probably wasn't
one of the core
twelve
but he's at least
described as a disciple.
He had some level
of commitment
and interest
in following Jesus.
He calls him
Lord.
That's a little
more of a committed
term than saying
teacher like
the scribe did.
Now scholars
aren't exactly sure
what this term
bury my father
actually means.
It could mean
that this man's
father has just
died and needs
to bury him now.
Jewish burials
usually took place
within 24 hours
of the time
of death.
So if this was
the case then
it was a few days
or a week's delay
at most before
he thought he
could follow Jesus.
Or it is possible
that this man
is referring
to the duty
of the son
to bury
his parents
whenever they die.
Whether that's
in the near future
or the distant future.
His father might
have been ill
and near to death
therefore he's saying
hey listen
my dad's going
to die soon
I've got to
bury him soon.
Or maybe he could
have been
in decent health.
And it just
could be
this guy saying
Jesus as soon
as my father
dies
whenever that may be
I'll be free
to follow you.
I've just made
a commitment
to my dad
that I'll be around
to bury him
whenever he dies
and I can't
follow you
until then.
So we're talking
weeks here
months
maybe even
years
of postponement
of following
Jesus.
Well whatever
the phrase may mean
now or later
Jesus' reply
in verse 22
is quite shocking.
Follow me
leave the dead
to bury their own
dead.
Imagine the look
on that guy's face
when he heard that.
at the very least
what we should hear
from this encounter
is that Jesus
is using some
startling language
to shock this
man's priorities
back into the
right order.
Jesus is
audaciously
claiming
that allegiance
to him
takes precedence
over all
other human
priorities
even
family.
It seems
that Jesus
sensed some
lack of resolve
in this
disciple's
commitment
to follow him.
And he wants
to lovingly
but firmly
remind him
that following
Jesus is not
a when it's
inconvenient
and my family
duties allow it
kind of commitment.
No there is
an urgency
to Christ's
call
and it overrules
all other human
commitments
and priorities.
In fact later on
in chapter 10
Jesus tells his
disciples
whoever loves
father or mother
more than me
is not worthy
of me.
Whoever loves
son or daughter
more than me
is not worthy
of me.
So does this
mean that Jesus
is some kind
of egotistical
maniac
demanding devotion
from this man
that would prevent
him from burying
his own father?
Just goes and
flies in the face
of common decency
you would think.
Well if Jesus
were a mere human
teacher then yeah
but he's more
than that.
Far
far
more than that.
Matthew is
expecting us
to see
in the sermon
on the mount
and in his
miracles
that in
these startling
works of
teaching
and demonstration
of his power
that Jesus
is more than
a mere human
teacher.
There is divine
weight and
authority behind
Jesus' urgent
call
but it's more
than just an
authoritative call
it's also an
invitation.
Did you notice
that invitation?
It's in there.
He calls him
to follow him
and then he
commands
leave the dead
to bury their
own dead.
It's an invitation
to follow him
and have life.
Jesus is
inviting him
to leave
the spiritually
dead
to deal with
death
and to count
the cost
of dying
to every other
priority
in order to
find real
spiritual
life.
In other words
Jesus is saying
look
following me
means entering
into my kingdom
and my kingdom
means life
real
eternal
spiritual life.
There's no life
outside
of my kingdom.
So
why are you
messing around
with death?
Your real business
has to do with
life
not death.
So if you
place any other
priority before
following me
you're flirting
with spiritual
death.
Leave those
who are outside
the kingdom.
They're spiritually
dead.
Don't hang around
the spiritually
dead.
Come follow me
and have life.
Jesus is using
this situation
as a teaching
opportunity.
Jesus is not
trying to tell
this man to
neglect his
family priorities
his family
duties.
We know from
elsewhere in
scripture that
God desires us
to honor our
parents,
to love our
children,
to provide for
our families,
care for our
spouses.
We know
that's true.
And neither
is Jesus
exhibiting a
lack of
compassion on
the spiritually
dead, those
who are outside
the kingdom.
No, this is a
matter of
priorities.
He's looking
at this guy
in the face
who is flirting
with spiritual
death by delaying
his following
of Jesus, by
prioritizing family
more than
following Jesus.
And it's
keeping him
outside the
kingdom.
like Peter
later on
walking on
the waves
of the
Sea of
Galilee.
This man's
eyes are
distracted
and concerned
with the
waves and
wind of
human priorities
and he has
lost sight
of single-minded
devotion to
Christ.
And Jesus
loved him
too much
to let him
stay there.
So what
is Jesus'
sober word
of invitation
to us?
It's this.
make Christ
the governing
priority
of your life
and you will
find life.
Make Christ
the governing
priority
of your life
and you will
find life.
To quote
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
again, he
describes this
call to
wholehearted
devotion in
terms of
costly grace.
He wrote
in his book
The Cost
of Discipleship
Such grace
is costly
because it
calls us
to follow
and it
is grace
because it
calls us
to follow
Jesus Christ.
It is
costly
because it
costs a man
his whole
life and
it is grace
because it
gives a man
the only
true life.
It is
costly
because it
condemns sin
and it is
grace because
it justifies
the sinner.
Above all,
it is costly
because it
cost God
the life
of his
son.
And what
has cost
God cannot
be cheap
for us.
Above all,
it is grace
because God
did not
consider the
life of his
son too
dear a price
to pay for
our life
but delivered
him up for
us.
Now,
as we look
to our own
lives,
what are we
to make
of this
call
to wholehearted
devotion?
How are we
to count
the cost
of following
the son
of man?
How do we
respond to
this invitation
to make
him the
governing
priority
and so
find life?
Let me
encourage you
to consider
two categories
in which
Christ is
calling you
to wholehearted
devotion.
The first
is this,
in the
broad
trajectory
of your
life.
Jesus
is
inviting
you to
make him
the
governing
priority
of your
life.
And so
look at,
consider,
where is
your life
headed?
What
trajectory
is your
life on?
This is
no matter
whether you're
at the
beginning
of your
life,
you're a
teenager,
you're a
young person,
or you're
in the
middle of
your life,
or you're
toward the
end.
Jesus
is asking
your whole
life's
direction
to be
aimed
at him.
So
big questions
of dreams
and careers,
issues in
your marriage,
your parenting
of your
children,
where you
live,
these are
to be
subjected
to his
vast
authority
and his
kingdom
call to
follow him
and have
life.
So
what big
decisions
are you
considering
right now?
My
wife and
I are
weighing
options
about
schooling
for our
children.
Maybe you're
thinking about
if you should
change jobs
or careers.
Maybe you're
thinking about
moving.
Wherever you
might be,
whatever decisions
you're considering
that are part of
the overall
trajectory of
your life,
Jesus is
clearly calling
us to
serve him
and his
kingdom
in and
through
these big
trajectories
of our
lives.
Jesus is
not an
add-on
to our
life.
He is
not a
separate
category
that we
tend to
along with
family and
children,
et cetera,
et cetera.
He governs
it all
because he
owns it
all.
Perhaps
you have
never
considered
this.
Perhaps
you've
never been
confronted
with this.
Or
perhaps
you've
lost
sight of
this.
Wherever
you're
at
today,
your
Lord is
inviting
you to
make
him the
governing
priority
of your
life so
that you
can find
life.
Arrange
your life
around
him.
The
second
category
is a
little
more
nitty
gritty.
The
second
category
has to
do
with
the
daily
grind
of
counting
the
cost
to
follow
Jesus.
What
are the
things
in your
life,
not
decisions,
but
the
small
and
essential
things
that we
have to
die to
ourselves
to
every
day
in
the
daily
grind
of
normal
life.
Jesus
is
asking
you
to
count
the
cost
of
following
him
even
in
your
small
decisions.
From
waking
up in
the
morning
and
how
you
spend
your
time
to
the
commitments
and
responsibilities
of
your
day,
whether
you're
in
school
and
you're
a
young
person
or
whether
you're
retired
and
everywhere
in
between,
the
daily
grind
of
your
normal
life
is
to
be
spent
counting
the
cost
of
following
Jesus.
There
is not
a sphere
of your
life
that
Christ's
call
to
count
the
cost
does
not
touch.
So
the
Son of
Man
is
beckoning
you.
He's
beckoning
you to
take
the
hard
road
of
humility
and
lowliness
and
love.
Maybe
you're
the parent
of small
children
and this
means
desperately
asking
Jesus
for help
to treat
your
children
with
dignity
and
gentleness
when
they're
driving
you
bonkers.
Maybe
this means
submitting
your
attitude
toward
your
spouse
to
Christ
and
seeking
to love
them
with
humble
care
and
self
sacrifice
whether
they
respond
or not.
This
means
asking
your
Lord
for help
in
your
daily
combat
against
sin.
Daily
dying
to
self
and
fighting
temptation.
This
means
seeking
to
consider
your
co-workers
better
than
yourself
with
your
actions
with
your
words
as
well
as
actively
pursuing
to
tell
them
about
the
son
of
man
that
you
follow.
This
means
submitting
to
and
honoring
your
parents
young
people
even
when
you
think
they're
old
fuddy
duddies.
No
matter
where
you
find
yourself
seek
to
imitate
the
son
of
man
in
the
hard
road
of
costly
discipleship.
Pursue
the
good
of
others
before
your
own
comfort
and
pursue
the
glory
of
his
name
above
your
own.
Let's
pray
for
his
help
now.
Father
thank
you
that
whatever
your
grace
demands
it
also
supplies.
thank
you
Father
that
whatever
you
call
us
to
you
have
already
walked
that
road.
Father
would
you
be
at
work
in
our
hearts
by
your
Holy
Spirit
would
you
attend
to
the
daily
concerns
and
responsibilities
that are
already
starting to
emerge
into
our
hearts
and
would
you
cause
us
Father
to
make
Christ
and
his
kingdom
our
governing
priority
help
us
to
do
that
as
a
church
and
it
is
in
our
individual
lives
give
us
power
oh
God
to
die
to
ourselves
and
to
seek
to
imitate
the
son
of
man
in
Christ's
name
amen