Follow Me
All of us, admittedly, can give reason after reason as to why 2020 has been difficult. We entered grandly into the new decade, full of hopes and dreams. In the full throws of August, many of us are looking up only to find the pause button still pressed. The things we believed should have been haven't been. The fresh hope and starry wonder January 1st held have dimly faded into a distant memory. Many of us are just now looking up from beyond our masks to discern where to go from here.
Last week, I prepared my morning coffee and oatmeal, about to enter into my morning time of journaling and Scripture reading. The morning was quiet. Gently, as only the Holy Spirit can do, he brought to my mind the story of Jesus and the man who had to bury his father. In Luke 9:59, we pick up Jesus saying to people along the way, “Follow me.”
Pause. Breathe. Read those two words again.
Some might have seen the audacious call to action and been slightly put off. Others, desperate for deeper meaning, might have over-eagerly voiced their dedication, only to realize what must follow. The sacrifice and discomfort to follow may have been too overwhelming, causing many to simply walk away.
This man that Jesus called out to follow, his heart appears to be right. He replies to Jesus, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Admirable. Understandable. Of course, this seems like the right thing to do, right? Yet Jesus’ response seems uncomfortable. “Let the dead bury their own dead...”
Can I be candid with you? Honestly, I have struggled with this passage. Jesus was known for his compassion. How could his response seem to be so lacking? How could he respond in such a manner to the death of a loved one? If there was ever a valid reason to stay back, this was it.
The day before me wasn’t just any day. The day before me was scheduled to be a day of bereavement. My dad passed away a week before shelter-at-home orders were put into place. Nearly five months after his death, we have not yet laid him to rest or had a proper service. This day before me was to remember my dad, visit my brother, grandmother, and grandfather at their gravesides, and go through old photos and belongings of his with my sister. This day wasn’t just any day that God brought this story to my mind. It was the day of remembrance. It was also three weeks before we depart across the country for a move God has called us into - a call to follow him.
I don’t know the outcome of that man in this story. I don’t know if he left behind his father’s burial or if he followed faithfully the call laid before him. I do understand Jesus just a little bit more now, though. I understand Jesus looking into the depths of this man. Jesus’ call pierced into what this man valued in his life and challenged it. Was the man grieving? Was he holding onto ceremony or tradition? Was he looking for that viable excuse he could give so he could stay back? No matter the motive, Jesus challenged it to move the man out of himself and into something greater, to bring others into eternal, redemptive, resurrecting life.
“…but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
I don’t know where God is leading you next. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is simply that plans and dreams do not always come to be our reality. I do know God is not surprised by any of this, and he graciously gives the same call to each of us.
“Follow me.”
What is holding you back today? What valid reason do you have in your life God might be challenging you in today? Perhaps he is calling you out of your excuse and into something bigger. Perhaps he is calling you to stay in your circumstances, but he’s asking for a heart-shift perspective. Jesus gives the same charge to each of us.
“Follow me. Let others be worried and consumed with the traditions, the image to others, the sadness, the obligations, for you have an opportunity to make an eternal impact in the here and now.”
What does it look like to follow Jesus today? What do you need to let go of today? Where is God calling you today?
