MATTHEW 8: 18-22 [THE MESSIAH REVEALED SERIES]
GOING TO THE OTHER SIDE
At this point Matthew interrupts the series of miracles. He is transitioning from the three miracles of healing (8:2-15) to three miracles of power (8:23-34; 9:1-8) over the forces of nature, over evil spirits, and over sin and it’s consequences.
The essential characteristic of the Christian life is discipleship. This interjection section is a warning to those who would become disciples of the Messiah. The fellowship of Jesus’ love, wisdom, and power though does not make discipleship easy. Discipleship is costly because of its importance and each must count the cost before joining Him. Those who have joined Him must constantly remember the conditions of His service. To have a life-changing encounter with Jesus should mean that we fully follow Him.
The two men brought before us here are almost opposite types. One is too swift with decisions the other is too slow to take a decisive step. Jesus treats each of them according to their weakness. He represses the too spontaneous and stimulates the too sluggish. What Jesus teaches both of them is the conditions of discipleship. The Son of Man claims the right of undivided loyalty no matter what our personality or situation (CIT).
I. UNCONSIDERED COMMITMENT, 18-20.
II. AVOIDANCE OF COMMITMENT, 21-22.
The call to discipleship begins in verse 18 with Jesus’ command to accompany Him to the other side. “Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.”
The crowds [literally “many crowds”] had gathered to be awed and entertained by Jesus’ healing ministry. Jesus was often surrounded by crowds. He also often dismissed them. Though He was completely divine, He was completely human. He needed time for prayer, for rest and sleep. So did His disciples. The large crowds were also too worldly for Him to disciple. He wanted to get away with a smaller number of disciples so that He could teach them how to be better followers of God.
So Jesus was making plans to escape the crowds, to depart to the other side [literally - into the beyond]. Who is going with Him? Who wants to be alone with Jesus and learn to become a better disciple?
Jesus’ imminent departure to the east side of Lake Galilee prompted certain people to consider being part of the inner circle of disciples going with Him.
Verse 19 begins an interview with a would be disciple. “Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
As He was leaving, an impetuous scribe who probably taught school in the local synagogue approaches Jesus and volunteers to follow Him as a disciple [some see it as part of Jesus inner circle]. Jesus’ words examine the man’s understanding and sincerity about discipleship. This scribe in listening and learning from Jesus had been filled with admiration for Jesus’ wisdom, morality, courage, and power and his swirling emotions motivate him to this desire. Many scribes or teachers were hostile to Jesus yet here is one who warmed up to the point of all out enthusiasm.
This scribe proposes to follow Jesus wherever He goes. He offers to become not simply an approving admirer but a permanent disciple of Jesus. With self-confidence he promises to follow Jesus for better or for worse, not stopping to consider what such a commitment involves.
What was this decision to follow as a statement of commitment Jesus’ teachings as a way of life based on? Was it made because of a transitory or fleeting feeling? Did he make this commitment without knowing what it meant, without counting the cost? Did he make this commitment on the basis of his own strength? Commitments which rests on no firmer foundation than these are sure to sink, or falter. Discipleship cannot be built on mere emotion. Persuaded effervescence cannot last through the hardships Jesus’ disciples encounter in life, not then and not now.
What this admirer of Jesus gladly offers to do by following wherever Jesus would lead him, and doing whatever Jesus would ask him, is no more than Christ requires of every one who comes to Him to be His follower.
[The essential characteristic of the Christian life is discipleship. We learn from the Master and we identify with the Master. He is our Savior because He is our personal Lord and as disciples, we live under His lordship. Dietrich Bonhoeffer has said, “Only he who obeys truly believes, and only he who believes truly obeys.” [Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York: Macmillan, 1960. p. 69.] The disciple has been to the Cross for forgiveness and the work of the Cross in the disciples life expresses the new life in Christ. To accept Christ is to accept the whole Jesus, what He taught and what He modeled, as well as what He did in dying for us on the Cross. Comfort, Philip Wesley: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 11. Carol Stream, IL.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005. S.129]
Jesus, who wanted to gladly receive this scribe, answers him with a challenge in verse 20. “Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” The response was not what one would expect, but Jesus rarely responds as we expect. Though Jesus desired disciples who would follow Him and work in His harvest fields, He knew only proper motivation would see them/us to the other side. In Jesus’ answer to the scribe He tested the man’s sincerity, for the disciple must give up earthly securities to know the greater inner security in the purpose of God. (Luke 9:57–62.) Jesus purposely paints discipleship in somber colors to prevent a desire to follow Him motivated by wrong reasons [like His miracles] or committed without understanding the cost.
Jesus’ reply to this scribe demonstrated His lowly character for He, in contrast with animals such as foxes and birds, did not even have a place where He could lay His head at night. He had no permanent home. The Lord knew the heart of this person and may have seen a desire for fame in following a prominent Teacher.
[Foxes were plentiful in the country of Palestine. From their holes they would make their nightly raids hunting frogs, rabbits, mice, poultry, birds, eggs, fruit, etc. [They sometimes devastated fields, orchards, and vineyards]. The birds made nests, homes, shelters, or lodging places.]
The point is that animals have homes to which they return again and again, but to follow Jesus is to step forward into insecurity. Jesus refers to the unglamourous and uncomfortable conditions involved in following One whose commitment to the purposes of God was so all consuming that He did not even own a place to sleep.
An enlistment commitment to Christ’s army must consider the hard marching and fighting orders each believer must follow or they will eventually either be sulking in the rear or deserting altogether. This lack of consideration of the cost of discipleship is an explanation of the stagnation that chokes churches. People committed themselves in excitement or desperation and later learned it to be a difficult and demanding course of life. Potential inductees need to learn of the difficulties connected with following Jesus before they agree to start the journey.
Here the first time of Matthew’s 31 usages of the title Son of Man occurs. It is Christ’s favorite self designation used about 80 times in the Gospels. The term certainly identified Jesus as one truly from mankind. It is also a concealed Messianic title drawing on its usage in Daniel 7:13-14. It is Jesus’ way of stating that He is identifying with the suffering of the human experience.
[Jesus often refers to Himself as the Son of Man. The first time Jesus makes use of the Christological title in Matthew is here. It is used as a designation for Himself 29 times in Matthew, 14 in Mark, 24 in Luke, and 13 in John. It points to Jesus as the Messiah (Dan. 7:13-14).]
[The designation of Jesus as the “Son of man” is also used in Acts 7:56, in Hebrews 2:6, and in the Revelation 1:13 and 14:14. In the Old Testament it is used in the Psalms as equivalent to “man,” in Ezekiel 2:1 as referring to the prophet, and in Daniel 7:13 with an apocalyptic meaning in relation to the Messiah. By using this term in addressing the scribe, Jesus is identifying Himself in His messianic role. Comfort, S.129]
It seems that the scribe’s enthusiasm was superficial and that he had not counted the cost of discipleship. Christ does not lay hold of the rabbi nor take advantage of the enthusiastic rashness. Jesus will have no disciple who is not prepared to pay the cost. The One we follow started life in a borrowed stable and ended it in a borrowed tomb.
As a group of missionaries were FLEEING FOR THEIR LIVES from some Chinese bandits, nightfall overtook them. They huddled together in an old abandoned building. It was filthy and vermin-infested. Among the fleeing missionaries were Archibald Glover and his family. After a wretched night, little Hendley Glover said, “Daddy, I think Jesus must have slept in a place like this when He had nowhere to go.” “Yes, my boy, I think it very likely,” answered the Dad. Then little five-year-old Hendley said, “Then we ought to be glad to be like Jesus, and suffer for Him.”
II. AVOIDANCE OF COMMITMENT, 21-22.
A second man, already a disciple of Jesus, requested that he be permitted to return home and bury his father in verse 21. “Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”
The first disciple was spontaneous and enthusiastic but had not thought things thoroughly through. This disciple shrinks, hesitates and is overly cautious. He is the type of person who always finds something else that needs to be done first before following Jesus. This one needs to realize the call to follow Jesus is an urgent priority.
Can you think of a more noble deed than to do this for one to whom you owed your physical existence? Who cared for you when you could not care for yourself? [The excuse seems legitimate in view of Genesis 50:5, Exodus 20:12, and Deuteronomy 5:16]. It is possible that this disciple was not asking permission to go to his father’s funeral, but rather was putting off following Jesus until his elderly father died. Perhaps he was the firstborn son and wanted to be sure to claim his inheritance. Perhaps he didn’t want to face his father’s wrath if he left the family business to follow an itinerant preacher. Whether his concern was financial security, family approval, or something else, he did not want to commit himself to Jesus just yet. This disciple wanted to return home and wait until his father died. Then he would return and follow Jesus. His request demonstrated he felt discipleship was something he could pick up or lay down at will.
The habit of some of us is to put other pressing responsibilities before the claims of Christ. If we allow anything to come before following Christ there will always be something coming before Christ.
Jesus, however, would not accept his excuse. His response is found in verse 22. “But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
The reply “let the dead bury their own dead” is a stern refusal. He was pointing out that following Him carried with it the highest priority, even over family loyalty. [Jesus even revise one’s notions of family in 10:37 & 12:46–50.] As God’s Son, Jesus did not hesitate to demand complete loyalty. Jesus wanted first things first and following Christ comes first (Mt. 6:33). The responsibilities of this life are to give way to Christian discipleship (Luke 14:25-33). No relationship can stand in the way of those who are serious about following Jesus.
Jesus is not requiring all of His followers to neglect the burial of their dead. He is requiring us to be willing to give up anything or anyone to follow Him. Even family loyalties are not to take priority over the demands of obedience. His direct challenge forces us to ask ourselves about our own priorities in following Him. The decision to follow Jesus should not be put off, even though other loyalties compete for our attention. Nothing should be place above a total commitment to live for Him.
IN CLOSING
All other claims dwindle before the claim of Christ for our supreme affection and first obedience. All other relationships are subordinate to our relationship with Christ.
Jesus was always direct with those who wanted to follow Him and set aside any condition they might have for following Him. He demanded and still demands complete loyalty. [You don’t follow Christ on your terms, you follow Christ on His terms.] Following Jesus is not easy or always comfortable. Often it means great sacrifice, doing without earthy rewards or security. It is better to sleep beneath the stars than beneath golden canopies. It is better to lay our head upon stone than upon a lace pillow, if the latter at our side leads to the throne room of Heaven.
A long time ago you may have committed yourself to follow Jesus to the other side of life. After all this time has there been a significant transformation into Christ-likeness in you? Or has your commitment like most New Year resolutions, not made a significant daily difference in your life?
Jesus is calling disciples to follow Him to the other side. There are difficulties of seas and the test of storms in getting there, but nothing this life holds is more important than getting on board with Jesus and letting Him lead you to the other side. Are you following Jesus to the other side?
The costs of following Jesus is high but the value of being His disciple is inestimably higher. Discipleship is an investment that yields the incredible rewards of eternity.
