Vol. 1 Issue 13
Vol. 1 Issue 13
Jerusalem – The disciples of the martyred Jesus of Nazareth have been keeping the stories of their teacher alive. Matthew, one of the inner circle of followers, remembers a time when Jesus was teaching a crowd. He said to them "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30NIV)
On another occasion Jesus was with his close friends when "he went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all." (Luke 6:17-19 NIV)
Yet, according to Matthew, Jesus made it clear that following him would not be easy and there were some responsibilities laid upon anyone who would be his disciple. "A teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."" (Matt 8:19-22 NIV)
Matthew recalled one story Jesus told them about a King who threw a marriage feast, but none of his invited guests came. So he told his servants "Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless.
Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few chosen." (Matt 22:9-14 ASV)
Jesus told his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like this.
Maybe this is why he said "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt 7:21 NIV)
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