There are many sad verses in the Bible. One of those that has always stood out to me comes from Matthew 8:34, where it states, “And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.” My heart grieves when I read these words because a similar reaction is happening all around us today. People come out to meet Jesus, you know, they come to church, and when they see His power and hear His teaching and call to repentance and holy living, they bail. There is no question He is God, yet they reject Him all the same. When they come to know what’s required to follow Him, they ask Him to depart from them because they do not wish to give up their plans, stuff, or lives to do so.
For us to follow Jesus requires that we be willing give up that which we possess. Now if you think about it, the one thing we truly own is our time. This one life, the days it consists of and the moments within them, because all of our possessions can vanish in an instant and for some they have. Just like Job’s life took a drastic turn when he was not expecting it!
What those who reject Jesus for the things of this life, often don’t understand, is what Jesus is teaching in Matthew 16:25, “…for whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses life for my sake shall find it.” Thinking they have life because they can see it, drive it, or stuff it in their wallets, yet they have lost everything by rejecting their creator. Are we willing to give all that we possess to follow Jesus? Will you lay your life and stuff down today for Christ your King? Remember, He laid down His life for you.