Everything.

Matthew plays clips from Jesus’s life. Jesus reached out to a man with leprosy—no one touched a leper—gifting him immediate healing. He touched Peter’s mother-in-law who lay in the grasp of a debilitating fever, filling her with so much energy that she jumped up and started waiting on Jesus.

Jesus calmed a storm at sea, he slung demons into a herd of pigs, he healed a paralyzed servant with a nod of the head. In each case, immediate reversal of the situation. Total change.

Caught up in this spate of miracles, a teacher declared his intention to follow Jesus. The reply? Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

Another disciple shared his plan to first take care of pressing business at home, then return to follow Jesus. But Jesus told him—Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.

What does Jesus want from me?

Everything.

At first glance, a life with Jesus looks wonderful and problem-free. But reality lies just below. Other people watched Jesus work, then begged him to leave. Jesus frightened people. Perhaps Jesus should frighten me more.

Just as Jesus changed people’s physical situations fully and completely, he asked potential disciples to follow him fully and completely.

Jesus asks for sacrifice. A life walking with Jesus follows an uneasy path. It’s not all cuddles and milkshakes. Jesus digs when replying to potential followers. He goes at security—home, family, safety—and says leave it and follow him.

Responding to such a call from Jesus reveals a rolling decision I’ll wrestle with all my life. New situations call for renewed sacrifice—a faith stronger, deeper, and more disconcerting than what often passes for religion.

What have I sacrificed? What should I sacrifice? Can I sacrifice that? Understand—Jesus doesn’t say you might have to give this up, Jesus says, give everything up and follow me.

What does Jesus want from me?

Everything.

Matthew 8 in week thirty of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Ravi Roshan