Mark 8
When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John, they immediately followed Him (Matthew 4:18-22). There was no concern about what they were doing prior to Jesus’ arrival. They were called by Jesus…and followed.
A bit later in Matthew 8:18-22, a scribe came to Jesus saying He would follow Jesus where ever He sent, but Jesus said, “[t]he foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).” Jesus’ statement may have been a direct ‘challenge’ for the scribe to accept considering his lifestyle as a scribe. The scribe was not disqualified from following Jesus, but it was something he needed to consider.
A disciple is a person that is conformed into the image of Jesus through careful study and obedience to His life example, commands, and guidance through the Spirit.
Jesus outlines what one must do to be a disciple, how a disciple is identified, and how they are to live. Below is a listing of scriptural references that further outline the preceding sentence. Disciples:
1. Are not forced to follow Jesus (John 6:43-71).
2. Are drawn by the Father (John 6:44).
3. Must hate their father, mother, wife, children, and their own life (Matthew 10:32-39; Luke 14:26-33).
Mark 8:36-37 – For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Though there are many things the ‘world’ would consider being important (i.e. family, job), the most important is your soul. For different people, gaining the world will mean something different. At the root, gaining the world is anything that does not place your spiritual life before God first, causing your soul (and eternal salvation) to be at risk.
There are many times when the world comes knocking on our doorstep. Be it promotion, position, or people, they call for our attention at the expense of our soul. These desires seldom originate from outside ‘elements,’ as our flesh is the culprit for all types of lustful desires (James 1:14-15). If we place our focus on these desires, we find that they begin to draw us away from the thing that should matter most in our lives–God. Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t love your family or be a good worker (as scripture says we should – Matthew 22:34-40; John 13:34-35; Colossians 3:22-24), however, we must not love them more than the Lord (Matthew 10:37-39).
We can obtain the highest position at our jobs or gain the popularity of an entire country, but if our soul isn’t ‘right,’ it profits nothing!
Think for a second…what would your life be like if you placed the condition of your soul as the top priority? There would probably be a lot of decisions you wouldn’t make, a lot of places you wouldn’t go, and A WHOLE LOT of things you wouldn’t do.
What is preventing you from serving God fully and focusing on your soul? …and are you willing to give up those things hindering you? Remember, the flesh (and lust) will not allow this decision to be made without a fight (Galatians 5:16-17).
The decision you make may cause you to lose a promotion, popularity, or some other ‘benefit,’ but what you gain is the GREATEST benefit of all and lasts for an eternity! Think about it and choose wisely!
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Zern Liew
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