Red Letter Bible Study--Matthew 8:18-34 (The cost of following Jesus)

 Matthew 8:18-34 (Luke 9:57-62; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-29)

Comprehension

Jesus needs some time away from the crowds.  A scribe, a teacher of religious law, vows to follow Jesus wherever He goes. Jesus says the man needs to think long and hard about the cost of following Him, because it's a homeless, hard life.  A disciple says he needs to bury his father.  Jesus says following Him is immediate.  Then He gets in a boat to go to the other side of the lake.  The famous calming of the storm scene has Jesus talking of peace and fear and faith.  Jesus meets two men coming out of the cemetery, men who are so possessed the community fears and avoids them.  But the demons possessing them RECOGNIZE Jesus as the Son of God.  All Jesus says is "Go." to the demons and the demons leave the men and go in to a herd of pigs.  The men watching the pigs ran in fear to the city and told everyone what happened.  

Interpretation

Jesus needing time away from the crowds prompts us to recognize His humanity. He exists in time and space and it's exhausting.  He was tired and overwhelmed and "over it" in His humanness.  He is feeling the pain of being homeless.  He's tired and wants to sleep.  So He gets into a boat with his fishermen disciples and they panic at a storm on the water.  He asks these men why they are afraid and have so little faith, after all the healing they've seen Him do.  THEN He calms the storm.  Their fear turned to shock and respect.  The demon possessed men recognizing Jesus as the Son of God prompts us to recognize His divinity.  He lives outside time and space and is known by the spiritual forces.  He is able to say "Go" and they go.  

Application

Jesus starts this section with a warning to a scribe of the cost of following Him.  He has no where to live.  His mission doesn't stop for death when there is LIFE to save.  Am I up to the challenge of following Him?  Can I leave behind what I think I need for what He wants for me?  Am I rattled by every storm that comes my way, thinking this is it, I'm dying!!  (The answer to that last question is yes, yes I am rattled by every storm.  👀)  In our "would you rather" question, we all agreed our world is in a storm right now.  Do we think Jesus is asleep and we're dying?  Or do we know He is in control and we are safe with Him?  The cost to follow Him is high, He said it Himself.  But the profit for following Jesus is peace in the midst of the storm.