Who's on first?

Matthew 8:21 says, “And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.”

Jordan explains, “That’d be some kind of disciple, wouldn’t it? ‘Let me first.’ Who’s supposed to be first? You? What kind of a sorry disciple are you if you come first? ‘I want to follow you but let me come first.’ That’s the guy’s problem.

“What does Christ in Matthew 6:33 say about His disciples? Didn’t He tell His disciples up on the mount just two chapters before, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’

“The cross reference is in Luke 9. The idea is, ‘If you’re not willing to follow me and let bygones be bygones, not counting the cost, then you’re not going to be my disciple. If you’re always worried about what it’s going to cost you, you’re not going to make it.’ That’s what He’s saying to them.

“Matthew 10:34 says, ‘Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.’ Read that verse to a modernist sometime. That would kill them, wouldn’t it? All that stuff about peace on earth and disarmament. Christ said, ‘I didn’t come to put up the guns; I came give you a gun!’ That’s not the meek and mild, lowly little pacifist that everybody talked about.

“The reason is that the Lord Jesus Christ isn’t kin to the great pacifists of the world. He’s not kin to Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King; these guys that get what try to do that way. His ministry was a different kind of ministry than that and they’re not following in the footsteps of Jesus when they do what they’re doing, good or bad.

“When Christ came there was a price to be paid in following Him and it wasn’t living in peace. The passage goes on, ‘For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
[36] And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
[37] He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
[38] And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.’

“The idea is if you’re worrying about taking care of mom and daddy 'til they die, hey, folks, there’s going to be a sharp difference of opinion in Israel. There’s going to be a division in Israel. There’s going to be some people that get into that ‘little flock’ up here and are identified together with the Messiah and there’s going to be some other people who won’t do it and that division is not going to be something you settle over afternoon tea and discuss in polite terminology. There’s going to be some heated debate about that thing and mommas are going to get mad at daughters and sons.

“He said, ‘I came to make a DIFFERENCE in Israel!’ and He’s talking about the formation of that ‘little flock’ in there, and if you’re going to be a part of that ‘little flock,’ you’re going to have to recognize Him.

*****

“Matthew 8 says, ‘And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
[24] And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
[25] And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
[26] And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
[27] But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

“Who are His disciples? Well, they’re people who do verse 20. They’re willing to sell out and just be His; forsake everything and follow Him. People willing in verse 21-22 to put Him first. They’re willing to come and be identified with Him.

“Now what’s going to happen to them? Watch this miracle (in Matthew 8:26). He gets up and says, ‘Peace be still,’ and just whoosh, slew the flesh, brother! Boy, I love that. That’s wonderful. I mean, that’s something! That’s His power over creation.

“You know something, folks, the people who were with Him . . . Could He take care of them? Did it make any difference what kind of storm blew out there? Couldn’t He keep them safe? Don’t you see it right there in the miracle?

“You see what Matthew’s doing? He’s saying, ‘Blessing for Israel: They need to come be like the leper and get clean. They get the message out yonder to the Gentiles. They need to come and be restored and cleansed and have all these blessings go out to everybody and, ‘Hey, there’s a price to be paid. If you’re going to be His disciple, you gotta be His. You got to pay the price. He’s first. You got to take up your Cross and follow Him and look, He can take care of ya.’

“You see how Matthew puts that stuff there and He’s given you messages in telling you that? And demonstrating it to Israel. What does it say? ‘Israel requires a sign.’ They got to see that thing. There they are demonstrated out there in front of them.

“He can ensure the safety of all those who are with Him. There isn’t any problem. Verse 24. Back in chapter 7 you saw that tempest beating on that house built on the rock, on the sand. Type of the tribulation.

“I Peter says that that thing back in Noah’s day, the ark, is a like figure where into we’re saved over here. They’re saved in that ‘little flock.’ They’re identified there and they’re safe there and He’s asleep. Now in the other storm in Matthew 14, when He came walking on the sea, He wasn’t with them. This time He’s with them but He’s asleep. In verse 25 they have a panic attack.

“They’re all panicky and upset. And he said unto them, ‘Why are ye fearful o ye of little faith? I just slew the glass out there.’ And that’s His power, see? I mean, imagine serving somebody who can just get up and say, ‘Well, you want things to settle down, watch. Peace be still.’

“ ‘But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ Boy, that’s an understatement.

“Come back to Psalm 107: 28-29 and let me show you what kind of man he was: ‘Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
[29] He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.’

“You know who can do that? The ‘He’ of Psalm 107:29 is the fellow who’s in the boat with them. Reckon that can give you some comfort? Sure could, couldn’t it? You know what, folks, that’s one the great proof texts in the Bible there in Matthew 8 that the Lord Jesus Christ is Jehovah God in the flesh.”