Reflection for June 27, Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 8:18-22

Gospel: Matthew 8:18-22

When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”  

Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

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Reflection:

There’s an old adage that says: “To follow Christ is always right but it is not always easy.”  

In the gospel passage a scribe approached Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”  

In truth, Jesus is telling the scribe who signified his intention to follow Him that it’s never easy to follow me. You have to think a hundred times before you decide to follow me.  

Indeed, it’s not always a bed of roses when we decide to follow Jesus. Oftentimes Jesus would tell us that if you really want to follow me, you need to forget yourself and you need to be selfless. But amidst the hardship that we may encounter in following Him, we can also rest assure that Jesus will always be there for us to guide and inspire us. 

Be not afraid therefore to follow Jesus no matter how hard it is. For the reason that every second that you invest in following Him will give you great reward someday. – Marino J. Dasmarinas