The Cost

I Peter 1:7-9

These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed, though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your life, the salvation of your souls.

Today’s Reading:  Matthew 8

Isn’t Jesus always willing?  And is there really any difference between me and the man with leprosy?  Jesus was willing to hear my plea for salvation and he saved me, he was willing to listen to the man with leprosy and he healed him.  When I was lost, I was just as bad off as the man with leprosy, actually I was worse---he had faith!  We were both unclean and he cleansed us, one spiritually, one physically.  As a leper you are considered a public outcast, as a sinner I was a secretive outcast.  I seemed to fit in nicely with the world, but I was a self-induced outcast when it came to being a child of God.  I now realize that Jesus is always willing even when we’re not, he is always there to heal us, save us, hear us, and love us, but it is our responsibility to turn to him and allow him to do so.

What faith the Centurion must have had to say to Jesus, “but just say the word and my servant will be healed” (vs.8).  The Bible says that even Jesus was astonished at his faith.  Really?  Can you just imagine Jesus being astonished at your faith?  That would have to be about the best thing that could ever happen to me.  “It will be done just as you believed it would.”  So many times I have found in scripture where Jesus says similar things to people of great faith.  Things like your faith has made you whole or your belief has healed you.  I think Jesus is trying to tell us something here, don’t you?  Just believe that Jesus is who he says he is, just believe that Jesus can do what he says he can do, and just know that you can put all your faith in him and he will never, ever fail you.

What is the cost of following Jesus for me?  The cost includes me not getting to do everything that I want to do.  The cost is not always fitting in with everyone around me.  The cost is not always being liked by others.  The cost is being laughed at and spit upon for what I believe.  The cost may seem great to a worldly mind, but the reward is greater than anything a human mind can even begin to fathom.  The cost to follow may be great, but the cost not to follow is unthinkable!

I don’t know about you, but I oftentimes make a little swell in my life into an enormous storm.  We should not be afraid of the storms, but we should seek shelter in the arms of Jesus and know that when the storm passes, and it will, that we will be stronger for it, that our faith will have grown a little more with each passing wave.  Just as much as Jesus was astonished about the Centurion’s faith, he seemed to be as astonished at the lack of faith that the disciples had when it came to the surrounding storm.  I have found that I don’t always need to ask Jesus to take the storm away, but I need to ask him to be with me and keep me calm in the midst of the storm.

Wow, these two demon-possessed men knew who Jesus was immediately and they even referred to him as the “Son of God.”  Would I recognize Jesus immediately?  I would hope, but it saddens me to think that some days I may be too busy to notice him, that is why I have to stay in his word and in prayer with him.  I have no other choice but to surround myself with Jesus, to allow myself to be consumed by him because if I don’t, I fall.  And why did they ask Jesus if he was going to torture them and then  begged him to let them go into the pigs.  Is Hell so bad that the demons don’t want to go there?  Was that the torture that they were referring to?  I don’t know the answers to these questions, but there is one thing that I know without a shadow of a doubt…I do not want to go and if it cost me everything that I have, then so be it.  The cost to follow Jesus may be great, but what else could possibly be any better?