*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*I'M UNAVAILABLE?!*
*Scripture Treasure.*
Luke 9:57-61 *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.*
*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.*
*And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.*
*Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.*
*And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
We are unavailable, but we want God to be available for us.
*Scripture Commentaries.*
In the narration in Luke 9: 57-59, we see different types of people namely: some who are ready but are not ready to negotiate their comfort (Luke 9:58), some are ready but not willing to negotiate their family ties and responsibilities for Kingdom assignments (Luke 9:59-60) and some are ready but not willing to part with their families(Luke 9:61).
We are not without excuses. There are times we may not be available but we should not be consistently unavailable.
In Jesus's encounter with these people, we see two things, namely the awareness of three consecutive excuses for unavailability and a common ground of willing people but with unwilling minds.
Their hearts to follow were dependent on circumstances and ties.
It tells us that people are more unavailable for Kingdom assignments than they are available.
Let us look closer as we learn from these dialogues.
The first one was not prepared to negotiate his comfort. The words of Jesus that the *".....Son of man hath not where to lay his head."* is best applicable to those who serve God in areas, regions, or countries where there are no stable or comfortable place of habitation compared to their cozy environments they left behind.
Jesus's words are comforting because He is implying that strangers in mission fields live in strange places but their situations are not strange to Christ.
On Jesus' words to the second man that the dead bury their dead must not bring us to question Christ's reluctance to attending family responsibilities. Christ knows everyone, and He may have said this knowing that the man's request was a
society call rather than a home or family duty call. People can lie to avoid Jesus's call.
Jesus will not be against putting our families in order or performing our expected family responsibilities (Gen 23:1, John11:17).
On the third man, we can take a cue from Elisha. In 1 Kings 19:19-21, he had had an encounter with Elijah but took an excuse to bid his parents goodbye. He, however, came back because he remembered the encounter he had received from Elijah.
The responses of these three people suggest they are not turning back from their excuses as Elisha did.
Jesus' word in Luke 9:62 sums it all implying that you can not serve God diligently having excuses all around you.
These people are not in the Kingdom yet but have loads of excuses. Therefore, those who decide to come into the Kingdom must do so without looking back. They just can not be like these three categories of people.
His soul will not have pleasure with double minded people.
Are you still available or unavailable?
*Remorse corner.*
Christ would not want us to abandon our family responsibilities. He would want us to first do what is needful for the Kingdom. Delegate what is delegatable. Let not the Kingdom work suffer.
*Call to Word action.*
*...Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.*
Meaning, the dead will always be befitted with burial by the living who will also be appointed to die one day, but do the needful, *"..go and preach..."*
*The Christian clarion duty.*
Matthew 24:35 *Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.*
*Prayer.*
I am available Lord, send me, in Jesus name.
Good morning all and have a blessed day today.
God bless you.
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