Cross over

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CROSS OVER

Matt 8:18-20

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." 

NIV

A short exchange between this teacher of the law and Jesus, but it offers some insights as well. First we should wonder why after teaching so many people with what we call the Sermon on the Mount, he decided to cross over to the other side. Was it not the whole point to develop followers, to bring people to the truth? After gathering so many, why would he then decide to leave them and cross over the other side? Certainly some of these people of the crowd would follow him across to the other side, but that would not be easy. There were way too many for the number of boats available so they would have to walk around the lake to follow him. That would be a more difficult task than some might make. That might be the reason in itself. It is easy enough to follow Jesus when he is right there, but if the path to follow him requires some effort, only the true believer will take on that task. If we were always the recipient of miracle after miracle and continual miraculous healings it would be very easy to be a follower of Christ. But what if we did not have any miracles and divine healings? What if we have no signs of his provisions in our lives? Then would we still stay the course? Would we make the journey to continue following him when it seems he is making it more difficult to do so? Another thought about his crossing over after seeing the crowd is that he withdrew from them knowing full well others needed to hear what he had so say. He knew others on the other side needed to hear his teaching. He was not limiting himself to only one set of followers, but he came for the whole world and so he was about doing that, crossing over to reach more people. As the preparations were being make to cross over, that is gathering the boats, making them ready to launch out into the lake, a teacher of the law speaks up to Jesus. There is another as well who speaks up, but we will get to him next. We might make note although two men make some declaration about following Jesus, their motives or method of following him are very different. This teacher of the law makes it very clear that he has decided to follow Jesus no matter where he goes. He will eagerly follow him, giving up all else. We might suspect a teacher of the law has a certain position in life that is very comfortable. He would have a home, perhaps a nice one with servants even. He would be involved with the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and other teachers of the law, having a position of respect in the community and even have a fair amount of personal wealth. The response of Jesus points straight into this man’s heart. Jesus tells him although the animals of the earth are cared for by God, he, the Son of man has no such care. He is the poorest of the poor. He has no home of his own, no place to call his own, to place to rest.

2 Cor 8:8-9

8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor , so that you through his poverty might become rich.

NIV

It would seem there was a cost for this man to follow Jesus. He would have to give up his rich life and become a poor wandering follower with no place to lay his head either. It would seem it would be difficult for him to follow Jesus wherever he went by going back to his home, his position in the community as a teacher of the law and all his belongings. He was going to have to give all the material life up for an eternal one. This is want Paul meant about Jesus becoming poor and that through his poverty we might become rich, gaining eternal life. There has to be some truth in this for our lives as well. If we are going to follow Jesus, is there not something in life we have to give up? That is not to say the rich cannot follow Jesus. But he did say it would be more difficult for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle then a rich man to enter heaven.

Matt 19:23-24

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 

NIV

This is the point he was making to this teacher of the law and he makes this point to us. When we cling onto what we think is ours, have we truly decided to follow Jesus? Perhaps we have simply tried to incorporate Jesus into our way of life. Again, it is not that we should all be in poverty for that is not the point either. But the cost of discipleship does require the giving up of something. This is not to make a list of no smoking, no drinking, no dancing, no movies, no whatever else, no and no fun. This is the giving up of our own lives, our own ambitions and goals if we are to follow Jesus. Again this does not mean we are nothing. Certainly some have been called to be doctors, lawyers and candle stick makers. Others have been called into the ministry of serving others. It is not about having wealth, it is about trusting in that wealth rather than in Jesus. It is far easier for a poorer person to trust in Jesus then a wealthy person is what Jesus was teaching here. As he responded to the teaching of the law, we too must leave behind the life we made for ourselves and become the life he makes in us, whatever that is. Jesus has already crossed over to the other side, he has left this life and ascended to his eternal life. We too need to cross over from this life, leaving everything behind in order to journey to the other side. There is the physical and spiritual application here. Are we willing to cross over?