Comfortable

“As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go’. And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’” Luke 9:57-58

I was reading an article today which mentioned that the average new home in the United States is up over 2700 square feet, a new high. That made me curious, so I did a little research–in 1973, new homes averaged 1600 square feet. That is a 59% increase. Families who raised 5 or 6 kids in a small ranch in the ’70’s would be looking for a 5,000 square foot mansion today! We love our homes and we love our space.

All of this caused me to think of the interaction Jesus had with an unnamed person while on His way to Jerusalem near the end of His life. “Would you like another follower, Jesus? I’m willing.” “You should know I’m homeless, and you will be too if you tag along with me.” Apparently that was the end of the conversation.

Friends–don’t get me wrong–I’m not saying that it is sinful to own a home. My family is very thankful for the home we have and enjoy. But I must ask myself (and you) this question: Have we lost what is radical about our faith and replaced it with something comfortable? Does our version of Christianity center more around what makes us happy and meets our needs than what lost people need, namely to hear the Gospel? The central challenge of the Gospel is abandoning self, as Jesus did for us. What are we willing to give up to reach others? Are we too comfortable?

-Pastor Mike