You have some things to take care of at home....

Peter is given a clear assignment: You have some work to do at home—a beautiful assignment. Jesus reminds Peter of his responsibility.

What about you? Do you have something to take care of at home?

We don't know your situation, but maybe, like Peter, you are running very hard after Jesus. You are enthusiastic and available. That's a great desire, of course. You want to follow Jesus and spend a lot of time doing so. But what is it like at your home? Do you have things to take care of there (first)?

Today's text seems somewhat contradictory to Jesus' command to Peter. It seems Jesus is saying something different: "Follow Me, no matter what. No matter how busy you are. No matter what’s happening in your family. Even if that means you can't be at your father's funeral… Even if that means you can't say farewell to people…

That's pretty intense. It's hard for us to imagine that Jesus would ask that, is it?

It's good to know that the "let the dead bury their dead" is spoken very specifically to this one man. The point is that this man put his father's burial above following the Lord Jesus. Jesus knew exactly what this man needed.

(Verse 62 encourages you again, "Look at what is in front of you.")

That's the beauty of following Jesus. He knows exactly what you need. He knows your heart and desires. He knows what your priorities are right now and if they are right.

For Peter, it meant there was still something to do at home. He was needed there. It is also part of following Jesus. Home, too, is part of God's Kingdom.

In the case of the man in Luke 9, it was a very direct "Follow Me" because it was necessary for him to proclaim the Kingdom of God. So it is obviously important to be alert to what Jesus is telling you at a specific time, in a specific situation, so that you can make the right choices.

You may just find yourself running very hard after Jesus when there is still something to do at home that Jesus thinks is very important. Are you willing to do that first?

It could also be that you are busy at home with something that seems very important. But that something else, even more important, is "proclaiming the Kingdom of God.”

Do you manage to be so attuned to Jesus that you know what He asks of you?

Take the following questions to think about:

• Are you willing to choose not to do things because the Kingdom needs to be proclaimed?
• Do you have things to take care of at home?
• Can Jesus be clear with you?
• Do you want to follow Jesus even though something else seems more urgent?

Prayer:

"Lord, help me to listen carefully to what You say to me so that I have clarity about which things in my life You want to prioritize. Because I would like to do that which is most important for now. Amen."