Reading: Lucas 9:57-62
And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, “Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.” And Jesus said unto him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” And he said unto another, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” Jesus said unto him, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.” And Jesus said unto him, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The journey toward the cross has barely begun, and to undertake it, Jesus “set his face.” For the joy set before Him, there is a firm and profound determination. He travels toward Jerusalem, knowing what is going to happen there and what He is going to suffer, but He doesn’t falter.
As disciples of Jesus, we also need to be willing to take our cross and follow Him.
Jesus invites those who say they want to follow Him to consider these things:
Jesus doesn’t make false promises; the cost of following Him is high. You should be willing to deny yourself and take up your cross.
You should be willing to suffer, and even to die for His Name’s sake. You should be willing to follow Him without looking back.
Nevertheless, you should know that there is no more glorious path to follow. There is no kinder King that you can serve. There is no more valuable cause for which to give your life.

MEDITATE: Are you willing to follow Him?

Translation By: Emily Stader