Count the cost…no one can be more important.

“If you want to be my disciples, you must hate everyone else by comparison – your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

Count the cost…nothing can be more important.

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” –Luke 14:28-33

Count the cost…Am I prepared to leave the ninety-nine to rescue the one?

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over nine-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” – Luke 15:4-7

Count the cost…How hard am I willing to search for the lost? Will I go out of my way?

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she find it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” – Luke 15:8-10

Count the cost…Will I rejoice when the lost is found? Will I join Heaven’s celebration or am I too focused on myself to find joy in someone else’s salvation?

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” – Luke 15:11-32

Our human nature is to think of ourselves first – to provide for our own needs then care for others out of our excess. Jesus preaches a different kind of lifestyle – commitment to Jesus, thinking of God and how He would want us to care for others before our own concern for ourselves.

Jesus noticed that all who had come to dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

“Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 14:7-11

Maybe this is where we developed the customary question, “Is this seat saved?” It has become a common courtesy to ask this question before sitting down in a seat. Now, no one likes false humility either so I am guessing that Jesus is not encouraging us to pretend humility but to sincerely humble ourselves, thinking of others first.

Jesus addresses the question of who we are choosing to sit with as well. Do we think of who will make us look good or who will make us feel better about ourselves, or do we ask the question, “Who would you like for me to love on today, Jesus.”

Then he turned to the host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” – Luke 14:12-14

Again, we cannot be focused on what we can gain from someone else but on what someone else can gain from God through us. God wants us responding to His Spirit and ministering to whoever He sends us to, not thinking of ourselves for own gain but seeing ourselves as tools God may want to use in any and every situation. But how often do we make excuses for our own selfishness? How often is our commitment to our own plans stronger than our commitment to God’s plans for us?

Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’
“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” – Luke 14:16-24

Commitment to God – fully devoted to Him. God calls us to count the cost before making the decision of whether or not to accept His invitation. It will require humility, it will require us being more committed to Him than we are to our own plans. Today is a great day to renew our commitment. God, how would you like to use me today?

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” – Luke 14:25-33

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42

Focus on self – Martha was distracted by her own efforts to do a good thing but the focus somehow moved from the good thing she was doing to WHO was doing the good thing – herself. Martha’s focus was on the amount of hard work SHE was doing.

Focus on others – Martha then became distracted by the lack of work that her sister was doing. Even though Martha was the one who had invited Jesus into her home, she had expectations on the other people around her. Her focus was on what other people were not doing.

Focus on Jesus – It was not enough that Martha had invited Jesus into her home. It was not enough that Martha was working hard for Jesus. What Jesus desired of Martha was for her to spend time with him – for her to sit at his feet, as Mary was doing, and listen to all he wanted to teach her. Jesus wanted her to sit in his presence and focus on him and, by doing so, build her relationship with him.

Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” – Luke 12:13-21

Focus on self – How much can I accumulate? How much can I gain? How comfortable can I make myself? Then he said, “Beware! Guard against ever kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Focus on others – How much more does he have than I have? It’s not fair! He has more than I do! Look what he is doing with his money. This is what I would do if I had that kind of money…

Focus on God – Be rich in God and in your relationship with Him instead of focusing on earthly gain. “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

God, create in me a desire to want more of You and only You. May the luster of earthly treasures lose its shine where my heart is concerned. Create in me a heart that is generous and not greedy. May I be so filled with Your Spirit that I only wish well for others. May I be more concerned about sitting at your feet and storing up a rich relationship with You than I am about anyone or anything else around me. May my focus today be on You, God, and may that focus show me the needs of others around me so that I can be used by You. Amen.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:9-15

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7

Mercy is, by definition, forgiveness. Merriam-Webster defines mercy as compassion, especially towards someone who has offended you, or compassionate treatment of someone in distress. If we want to experience mercy in our lives, we need a heart that is merciful toward others.

Not one of us is perfect. We have all sinned and we are all in need of a Savior – of mercy extended beyond what we deserve. It is this mercy that allows us entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and the opportunity to begin experiencing eternal life right here on earth – mercy extended to us because we have a heart that extends mercy toward others.

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” – Luke 10:25-29

The man understood that he was to love God and he knew who God was. That part was easy. But how does Jesus define “neighbor”? The people who live by me? The people I work with? My family and members of my Church? Please define for me “neighbor” so that I can, by process of elimination, understand who is not my “neighbor”.

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.” – Luke 10:31-32

If either of these men who worked in the temple came in contact with a dead body, they would be considered “unclean” and temporarily unable to serve in the Temple and offer sacrifices to God. Helping this man who was so close to death was risking ritual impurity.

Do I help the one if it means I cannot help the masses? How often do we use this as an excuse for not reaching out to someone in need? God, I’m so busy reaching out to those to whom you have called me. You must plan for someone else to help this person in desperate trouble because you have already given me this other call. We excuse ourselves from responding to one person by reminding ourselves of how much good we are doing in the lives of other people. We give ourselves permission to turn our back on one person’s need by focusing on the ministry we prefer. Lord, forgive me. I am so guilty of this.

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, “Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” – Luke 10:33-37

If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two or three witnesses. If the person refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” – Matthew 18:15-20

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” – Mark 11:22-26

Here are two separate moments in which Jesus coupled the issue of forgiveness and restoration with the idea of our prayers being answered. Unforgiveness blocks our prayer life. God’s plan is for us to be all about forgiving others and bringing restoration into relationships that are strained or in need of resolution. I am to walk into these situations in strong faith that God will be in the middle of it all – that He will be with us through our attempts at restoration. Our own forgiveness depends on our commitment to forgiving others – not just in our hearts but through necessary conversations.

“Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:9-15

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” – Matthew 18:21-35

Father, reveal in me any unforgiveness . Strengthen my faith to believe that you will be with me in any attempt I make to restore a relationship or extend a hand of forgiveness. May the words coming out of my mouth reflect a heart of forgiveness, not bitterness, unforgiveness or gossip. Make me uncomfortable with any relationship or situation in which you want me to seek restoration. Transform my mind, precious Lord. Amen.

At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.” – Matthew 17:14-16

My heart breaks for this father. Can you picture it? Start with a beautiful mountain and a crowd of people waiting in anticipation to hear from Jesus. A man comes and surrenders himself to Jesus by falling to his knees. He pleads for the life of his son. He has tried to receive help from Jesus’ followers but their lack of faith has left him disappointed, so he goes directly to Jesus for help.

As a parent, it is painful to consider what this man must be feeling. His son is sick and there’s nothing he can do to help him – nothing but fall on his knees before the one man who he believes can free his son from this illness that takes over his body. If the boy has often fallen into the fire or water, as the scripture says, his parents have rescued him and saved his life time after time. Imagine the burns that they have had to treat or the water they have had to push out of his lungs in order to keep him alive. They know they have done all they can do and what they now need is divine intervention.

This father is much like others we have watched fall on their knees before God and beg for the healing of a family member. Watching their loved one suffer feels much like “going through the fire”. Ever felt like you were drowning? Stress and pressure from life’s circumstances pile up around you and make it hard for you to breath. “I’m drowning here, Lord! Please save me!” Hear the desperation of a believer in Jesus crying out to be rescued – crying out for healing!

Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”

Can you hear it? It’s the hope of a father as he runs to get his son. “Bring the boy here to me.” I imagine the words of Jesus were still ringing in his ear and bouncing around his heart as he returned to Jesus with his precious son.

Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” – Matthew 17:17-21

Oh, give us a stronger faith, O Lord! Strengthen the faith of Your Church and Your followers. May we humbly fall on our knees before you, believing that nothing is impossible for You. May we empty ourselves of any thoughts that we are capable of helping others without You.

Fire and water – What kind of fire is life throwing you into? What situations or circumstances are you drowning in? Let’s shift thoughts here and consider how often the fire and water are simply the result of our own sinful decisions. There are times when the fire and water in our life are undeserved and times when they are the natural consequences of our own arrogance and selfishness.

After healing the boy, Jesus spoke of fire and water in the context of punishment or consequences for our sins.

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut if off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into the eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” – Matthew 18:1-10

Precious Father, may our hands and feet be Your instruments today. May we be expressions of Your love to those around us. Empty us of any arrogance or thoughts of what we can accomplish so that we can humbly kneel before you and believe in faith that today YOU will do great and miraculous things among us! May our faith help others to find you and may we never do anything that would cause someone else to stumble in their journey to You. We pray all of this in Your precious and holy name, Amen.

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:5-12).

Have you ever met someone who takes everything you say literally? The use of sarcasm goes right past them and they look at you with a puzzled expression, trying to figure out why you said what you said. Then there is that person that uses the term “literally” while exaggerating, making their statement near impossible. For example, “I have literally told you this a million times, literally!” Oh, if they only literally understood the definition of the word “literally” 🙂

The disciples were struggling with distinguishing when Jesus was speaking to them in literal terms and when he was speaking figuratively. He spoke to them often in parables but here they are once again missing the meaning of what Jesus is trying to teach them because they are thinking in human terms instead of spiritual concepts.

Jesus understands their misunderstanding and so he goes back to square one with them:
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Simon answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being…” (Matthew 16:13b-17).

You can almost hear Jesus saying – Okay, I was just checking to make sure you remember who I really am because it seems to me like you still don’t get it. Of course, Jesus was much more patient than that with them, just as he is INCREDIBLY patient with us. How often do we need reminded of who God is when we are going through a time of uncertainty? Our heavenly Father is revealing Himself to us if we will simply look beyond our earthly understanding to see things from God’s perspective. Peter had to learn that lesson…again.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” – Matthew 16:21-23

My prayer for all of us is that God would reveal much to us today. I pray that God will help us to see beyond our limited, human point of view to His heavenly perspective. I pray for moments today when we are reminded of whom we serve and how powerful He is. No situation or circumstance is too big for Him. Precious Heavenly Father, give us eyes to see beyond our human point of view and increase our understanding of how things look from Your perspective. We love you and we trust you today – literally!

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:23-27).

Turn from your selfish ways. What great advice for the disciples and what great advice for us today. The disciples did not quite get this lesson the first time they heard it, just as we struggle to overcome our own selfish tendencies day after day.

Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest” (Luke 9:46-48).

I had to laugh when I came across these verses. Just this morning, I was participating in some friendly banter with my husband and his fellow Cubs fans. It seems obvious to me which team is the best 🙂 yet every year the Cardinals and Cubs fans spend hours arguing over which is the better team. Now this rivalry between sports teams is all in fun and simply a part of the American culture, but what Jesus is warning us about here is our own tendency to think too highly of ourselves.

Before you dismiss this thought too quickly, take time to allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of the last time you assessed someone before really getting to know them. We often judge others by their appearance or their financial situation or their family heritage. This mindset of considering ourselves to be better than other people can and will get in the way of us truly following Jesus.

We cannot pick and choose WHERE we go if we are sincerely following Jesus wherever He is at work.

We cannot pick and choose WHO we minister to if we are sincerely following Jesus to whomever He is leading us to.

We cannot pick and choose WHAT we do if we are sincerely following Jesus doing what He wants us to do.

We cannot pick and choose WHEN we follow Jesus so that it only fits into our schedule where it is convenient, giving Jesus only our leftover time.

As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:57-62

This song from the late 1800’s came to my mind this morning and I sang it asking the Holy Spirit to reveal in me any moments or attitudes that contradict the testimony of the song. This is a song of commitment, a song of turning from selfish ways to a complete surrender.

I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow; though none go with me, still I will follow; though none go with me, still I will follow; no turning back, no turning back.

“Give as freely as you have received” – (Matthew 10:8b). After giving these instructions to his disciples, Jesus received some heartbreaking news. Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, had promised the daughter of his favorite wife anything she wanted because she performed a dance that greatly pleased him. She chose the head of John the Baptist on a tray. Pressured by the fact that he had made this vow in front of all of his guests who were waiting for his answer, Herod ordered her wish to come true and John the Baptist was beheaded.

As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone…(14:13a).

Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt when he heard of the death of his cousin? The man whose purpose in life was to prepare the way for him had just been killed in a brutal and dishonoring way. Jesus, feeling the same emotions any of us would have felt, retreated to an area where he could grieve alone. He had spent so many days reaching out to others and taking care of the needs of many but now it was time for him to take care of his own needs. Or was it?

But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick (14:13b-14).

Having more compassion for others than he had love for himself, Jesus reached out to others in response to their reaching out to him. This is who Jesus was and this is who Jesus is today. When we reach out to him, he responds to us. Jesus responds to our needs with compassion, which is exactly what he did next.

That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves” (14:15). This is your chance, Jesus! It’s getting late and the crowd is getting hungry. This is the perfect opportunity for us to lose this crowd and have some alone time.

But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary – you feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up from heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! – Matthew 14:16-21

Instead of sending the people away, Jesus invited them to sit and allow him to supply their needs. He broke bread and they ate as much as they wanted. The great love of our Savior was displayed that day. At a time when tradition and human reasoning both gave him a reason to pull inward and enter a time of grieving, Jesus had compassion on others and thought more of their needs than his own. What a great example for us today. But now the crowds have been fed and Jesus can spend some time alone with his father – not just apart from the crowds but even apart from his disciples.

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted his disciples get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” – (14:22-31)

Last night, my pastor spoke of how he and his wife got involved at a church in Kansas City while they were at seminary. They made a decision right away that they were going to say “yes” to anything they were asked to do in the church for those three years, and that is exactly what they did. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?!! I thought of Lloyd and Kim Brock this morning as I was reading this passage.

Jesus took time to be alone with God but did not turn away from the needs of others. Don’t get me wrong. I strongly believe in taking time to grieve, I strongly believe in spending time alone in God’s presence. God calls us to this. But He also calls us to walk away from that time filled with Him in such a way that we are ready to care more about others than we do about ourselves. Ouch! This is not always easy to do.

Lord, thank you for the compassion you daily show on your people. You are a God who supplies our needs and meets us at our time of crisis with the words, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!” Only you know what lies before us this week. As we fill ourselves with Your presence, please go with us. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the needs of others around us. May we focus on you and, in doing so, see others, rather than focusing on our own needs. In your power, may we experience the kind of faith that has us walking on water – believing that you will supply our needs so that we can turn our eyes off our own situation and see the opportunities around us. Amen.

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” – (Matthew 9:37b-38)

Right after saying this, Jesus called his twelve disciples together and equipped them for ministry. He gave them the authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. He gave them instructions for ministry that are still helpful to us.

Be generous.

“Give as freely as you have received.” – (10:8b)

Be wise.

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.” – (10:16)

Be opportunistic.

“But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.” – (10:17-18)

Be filled with the Spirit.

“When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking – it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” – (10:19-20)

Be a humble follower of Christ.

“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!” – (10:24-25)

Be strong.

“Don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.” – (10:26)

Be a voice.

“What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!” – (10:27)

Be God-fearing.

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” – (10:28)

Be aware you are valuable to God.

“What is the price of two sparrows – one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” – (10:29-31)

Be loyal and true.

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly hear on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” – (10:32-33)

Be faithful and put God above everyone else, including yourself.

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” – (10:37-39)

Be the body of Christ.

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” – (10:42)

When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went to teach and preach in towns throughout the region (11:1).

Jesus did not just set up a classroom and teach his disciples by what he said, he taught them by how he lived. Jesus became an example of what it means to truly BE about the Kingdom of God – how to BE a servant and how to BE a follower. Now it is our turn to BE all God calls us to BE.