Alive And Free

Our passage today emphasizes that you decide early in your heart that you'll not be going to look behind and make a U-turn; you'll finish the life that God has started by not allowing yourself to be chained again to the things that have slowed down your progress. In this story, Jesus caught the world around him by surprise. And they did not know how to respond. The first man replied in amazement. He wants to be with Jesus. But Jesus knew that his life would not always be a life of highs and success and popularity. When life is no longer rosy, Jesus wants this man to mean what he says and decide early on not to look back. Will this man keep up with the pace of following Christ when the glitz and glamour of His grandeur fade to rejection, betrayal, mockery, and eventual crucifixion?

To the second guy (v59), Jesus said, “Follow Me.” Here, Jesus summoned the man. But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” The man did not decline, but he put Jesus on a waiting list. It may take some time before he can follow Jesus. Not until he finished an important business back home. The third guy, (v60) Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” Jesus implied, “no, you must do it now, and someone can attend to your concern.” (v61); another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." This man is like the second guy, who wants Jesus to wait for him. He would go home to say goodbye. But who knows, someone dear to him gets in the way, and he would have second thoughts about going. (v62) But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” From the perspective of God, once we decide to follow Him, there is no "unfollowing" Him. That's the Father’s heart for each of us!

In all three scenarios, one moral of this story is living a life free from anything that can slow us down in Christ. It is being alive and free to choose Him above all else. It is upholding Christ above everything we hold dear. The Scripture challenges us always to choose Christ, and in choosing Him not, we have decided to follow someone less than God. As you leave this Camp, make up your mind that Jesus will have supremacy in all you do. You will not put Him second. You will not make Him wait. You will not take Him for granted! You have His Word that your concerns are taken care of. “Let the dead bury their own dead,” but you go and make your life useful to Him.

APPLICATION: EXAMINE YOUR HEART

1. Who has your heart today? Consider the things that could slow you down in your spiritual growth. Is it worry, fear, stress, disappointments, unbelief, laziness, or complacency? If not, what is it?

2. What would keep you alive and free in Christ when things are not going the way they should?

3. What do you have on your heart today that you need to hand over to God? Write them down and ask God to help you break free from them.