MATTHEW 8 18 22 CONTEXT of JESUS had

MATTHEW 8: 18 -22

CONTEXT of JESUS • had just preached the sermon on the Mountain (5 -7) • came down from the mountain great multitude following (8: 1) • healed a leper (8: 2 -4)

CONTEXT of JESUS • entered Capernaum and healed centurion’s son (8: 5 -13) • healed Peter’s mother-in-law (8: 14, 15) • healed many demon-possessed (8: 16, 17) • now wants to go to the other side of the sea (8: 18)

TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE DESCRIBED: • BOTH DESIRED TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST • BOTH HAD A CERTAIN DEFICIENCY: – FIRST. . . QUICK AND HASTY SCRIBE – SECOND. . . DULL AND HEAVY DISCIPLE

FIRST PERSON • A SCRIBE – A LEARNED MAN, SKILLED IN THE LAW • A VERBAL RESOLVE – “TEACHER, I WILL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO” (v. 19) • EXPRESSED REVERENCE: TEACHER • EXPRESSED A READY RESOLVE: I WILL FOLLOW • EXPRESSED RELIABILITY: WHEREVER YOU GO

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, ’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ” MATTHEW 7: 21

Luke 22: 33 But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death. " Luke 22: 34 Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny

RECALL “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. ” MATTHEW 23: 3

• JESUS COULD ANSWER SOMEONE ACCORDING TO HIS HEART: – Lu 5: 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

TESTING A HASTY RESOLVE • THE LORD’S ANSWER TO THE SCRIBE: – “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. ” – scribe may have thought that Jesus was going to set up an earthly kingdom and wanted a share in it (cf. Jn. 6: 15)

FOXES, BIRDS & THE SON • FOXES HAVE HOLES – AN INFERIOR CREATURE – MAN OFTEN SEEKS TO DESTROY – GOD PROVIDES SHELTER FOR THEM IN HOLES

FOXES, BIRDS & THE SON • BIRDS HAVE NESTS – GIVEN ALL KINDS OF REAL-ESTATE TO MAKE NESTS • IN CONTRAST. . . THE SON – HAS NOWHERE TO LAY HEAD • NOWHERE TO RETREAT IN COMFORT • DESERVED LUXURY HOTEL OR MANSION AS KING OF KINGS • DEPENDED UPON THE HOSPITALITY OF OTHERS (Lk. 8: 1 -3)

THE LORD’S EXAMPLE: • IS NOT ONE THAT CALLS PEOPLE TO QUIT JOBS, BECOME HOMELESS AND SEEK TO LIVE OFF OF ANOTHER – 2 Th 3: 10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. – 2 Th 3: 12 Now those who are such we command exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

HAVING NO PLACE TO LAY HIS HEAD • WAS A CIRCUMSTANCE OF HIS MINISTRY FILLED WITH – TRAVEL – PREACHING – WORKING MIRACLES (Mt. 9: 35; 11: 5) • WAS NOT THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF BEING LAZY

2 Corinthians 8: 9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

To Those “Hasty” Scribes Today • DO NOT MAKE A RESOLVE BASED ON A FLEETING MOMENT’S CONVICTION (Mk. 4: 5; 16, 17) – “they that take up a profession in a pang, will throw it off again in a fret” (Matthew Henry) • TAKE TIME TO “COUNT THE COST” (LK. 14: 28 -33) – FOLLOW LORD NOT ONLY WHEN “POPULAR” BUT IN “PERSECUTION”

THE ND 2 PERSONALITY • A DULL AND HEAVY DISCIPLE – Matt. 8: 21, Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father. " A DISCIPLE HAD FAMILY CONCERNS PRIORITIZED HIGHER THAN FOLLOWING CHRIST

THE ND 2 PERSONALITY HIS FATHER: SICK, DYING, AGED, DEAD? HIS REQUEST SOUNDS REASONABLE. HIS REQUEST WAS DENIED. . . WRONG! THE SLOW TO COMMIT LOOK FOR PLAUSIBLE REASONS TO NEGLECT THEIR DUTY TO CHRIST!

THE LORD’S ANSWER: Matt. 8: 22, But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead. " Luke 9: 59 Then He said to another, "Follow Me. " But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father. " Luke 9: 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God. "

THE LORD’S ANSWER: Matt. 8: 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead. "

POINT: PIETY TO GOD BEFORE PIETY TO PARENTS

NOTE 10 COMMANDMENTS 1. HAVE NO OTHER GODS 2. MAKE NO CARVED IMAGE 3. DO NOT TAKE NAME OF LORD IN VAIN 4. REMEMBER SABBATH OF GOD

NOTE 10 COMMANDMENTS 5. HONOR FATHER & MOTHER 6. DO NOT MURDER 7. DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY 8. DO NOT STEAL 9. DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS 10. DO NOT COVET FAMILY NEIGHBOR

THE NAZARITE 6 ‘All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. 7 ‘He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. 8 ‘All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the LORD. NUMBERS 6: 6 -8

THE HIGH PRIEST 11 ‘nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother; 12 ‘nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD. LEVITICUS 21

THE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST 59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me. ” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father. ” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God. ” 61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house. ” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. ” LUKE 9

LUKE 14: 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. • NOT “HATE” TO “DISOBEY” (cf. Eph. 6: 1 -3) • MEANING = TO LOVE LESS

MATTHEW 6: 33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ”

UNTIL DEATH • “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10: 22) • “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2: 10)