Matthew 8:18-22 NIVUK
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’
20 Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
21 Another disciple said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
22 But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’
As a family with one child at university and another looking forward to going, we’re constantly faced with counting the cost – tuition fees, maintenance fees, accommodation costs, travel costs and so on – and weighing this up against what university offers. It is expensive, but we believe worthwhile.
Now the Winter Night Shelter pilot has come to an end, we’re in the process of assessing it, what worked well, what could be done better, what it cost us and was it worth it. It too was expensive (not just financially), but we believe worthwhile.
Jesus challenges us to do the same with our faith, encouraging us to take a long hard look at what it will cost, and what it will gain, so that we enter life with him with our eyes open.
Thank you Father that your Son counted the cost of giving his life for us and considered it worthwhile. Help us count the cost of giving our lives for him.
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