Thursday, July 11, 2013
Luke 9:57-58 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, 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."
THE DISCIPLE OF JESUS RECEIVES HEAVENLY GLORY NOT EARTHLY GLORY
If a person wishes to follow after Jesus, he should be aware of what he is getting into. It does not mean that your problems will cease to exist. Quite the opposite is true, at least for this life. Jesus pointed this out to a man in Luke 9 that wanted to follow Him. This man impulsively said, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." This is easier said than done, and it would appear that this man did not realize what he was saying. We also may speak with courage and then are unable to follow through.
Jesus wanted to make it clear to this man exactly what would be in store for him as His follower. He said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Jesus didn't own some palatial mansion. He didn't even own a shack. At the time that He died His only possessions were the clothes on His back. Though King and Lord of all, He set aside His glory and humbled Himself. He was poor and lowly and despised and rejected. Even to this day many people don't consider Jesus to be anybody special. His lowliness was so complete that He died the worst kind of death -- being crucified as a criminal. But even devoid of earthly glory and riches, He had and still has heavenly glory and power beyond imagination.
The followers of Jesus will be no different. Is the servant greater than his master? As a disciple of Christ -- as a Christian -- prepare yourself for a life that has great potential to be difficult. There are more obstacles in this world for a Christian than for an unbeliever. You will find yourself viewed as a freak by those who live around you. You will find yourself under a repeated assault from Satan as he tries to reclaim you into the kingdom of darkness. He will try to delude you with visions of earthly glory.
So is it worth it? Absolutely. The Lord tells us through the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Heavenly glory will make you quickly forget any hardship that you had to endure for the sake of Jesus. Yes, you may be downtrodden, persecuted, and perhaps very insignificant when compared to the princes of this earth, but remember being popular or comfortable is not your goal. As a Christian you are waiting for bigger and better things, namely everlasting life which your Lord has won for you and given to you. We look not only to the suffering of Jesus. We also look to His glorification. Just as we followed Him in suffering, so also will we follow Him in glory.
