February 27, 2025 Morning Devotional
Morning Devotion: Read Luke - Following Jesus
Luke 9:57 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. 58 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. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Most first world countries have no idea what it cost to follow Jesus. I wonder if the modern follower of Jesus is mostly concerned about the frivolities of life rather than following Jesus. Is following Jesus to the modern Christian just going to church and singing a few hymns and giving a little in the plate just to make themselves feel good, like they did something for God? Does it gives them a sense of doing something to please God, when in reality God is sick over the whole thing?
Isaiah 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah was saying that their sacrifices and offerings to God were vain. Their holidays and feasts were vain. Their holding up of hands and worshiping was vain and God turned His face from them. We see in Isaiah 1:18 that the first step in following Jesus is to have a clean heart, a heart made white as snow. Then and only then can one even begin to follow Jesus.
In our text, the man said I will follow you anywhere.
Luke 9:57 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.
I am reminded of an hymn entitled “Where He Leads Me I Will Follow.”
The first stanza says “I can hear my Saviour calling.” Can you hear Jesus calling?
The second stanza says “I’ll go with Him through the garden” speaking of the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before going to the cross.
The third stanza says “I’ll go with Him through the judgement.” Are you willing to go with Jesus through the judgment?
The fourth stanza says “He will give me grace and glory.”
All through the scriptures from Able in the book go Genesis, who was slain by his brother Cain, to the Apostle John the and the saints in heaven in the book of revelation, we find men and women following Jesus to the end, truly taking up their cross and following Him.
It would do us well to read Hebrews chapter eleven and maybe even read “Foxes book of martyrs” to see what it means to follow Jesus.
Do you truly follow Jesus? Following Jesus is not just a Sunday morning thing.
(As a side note: This past week I saw a video of 70 saints in Africa, being martyred for Jesus by islamist. Those Christians we true followers.)
Luke 9:57 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.
The choice is still yours,
Pastor Cook
