Counting the Cost
TRANSLATION
(14) And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law sick with a fever. (15) And he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. (16) That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. (17) This fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
(18) Now when Jesus saw a great crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side (of Galilee). (19) And there a teacher of the Law approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” (20) And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (21) And another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” (22) But Jesus said to him, “Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead.”
OBSERVATIONS
In the first paragraph of this segment, we find several synonyms for “infirmities” (vs. 17): “sick” (vss. 14 & 16), “fever” (vss. 14 & 15), and “diseases” (vs. 17). First, Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law and then dealt with all those who were brought to him while staying at Peter’s house. This is the eighth time that Matthew noted how Jesus’ ministry fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, this one from Isaiah.
In the second paragraph, we find two uses of “follow” (vss. 19 & 22), two occurrences of “bury” (vss. 21 & 22), and two of “dead” (both in vs. 22). Here Jesus dealt with two individuals who expressed the desire to be his disciples. To the first who pledged to follow Jesus wherever he might go, Jesus issued a challenge to consider the cost of discipleship before joining up. With regard to the second who asked to be permitted first to meet his normal family obligations, Jesus warned that following him as a disciple had to take priority over all other relationships.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus healed a variety of illnesses in fulfillment of prophecy. (14-17)
II. Jesus challenged those who expressed a desire to be his disciple to count the cost. (18-22)
IDEA STATEMENT
Both in his healing ministry and in calling his disciples, Jesus demonstrated his Messianic authority.
APPLICATION
Many were drawn to Jesus because of his power to heal. Beginning with Peter’s mother-in-law, he delivered from sickness and demonic possession all those who came seeking his help in Capernaum. Many of those who had benefitted from his ministry naturally wanted to become part of his group of disciples. Matthew, who himself would become one of the twelve, described Jesus’ interaction with two who desired to follow him. The first was a “teacher of the Law,” a well-educated individual, schooled in the Old Testament scriptures. This man’s offer to Jesus was, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus confronted his enthusiasm with a sobering warning: “Have you counted the cost of such a commitment? Are you ready for the life of hardship which following me will involve?” Jesus would later take the initiative to call twelve to himself, doing so only after they had proven themselves able to withstand the rigors of discipleship.
The second individual was apparently burdened with a sense of family responsibilities. Likely, this man’s father had not yet died, but in saying, “Let me first go and bury my father,” he was indicating that taking care of family concerns took precedence over following Jesus. The Savior’s response indicated that the life of discipleship requires each of us to reorder our priorities so that Jesus comes first in every aspect of our lives.