Today’s Reading: Luke 9:51-10:12

Key Verse:  As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Luke 9:57

When Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa, a group of friends wrote him: “We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?” According to a member of his family, Dr. Livingstone sent this message in reply: “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”

Impulsive commitments wither with hardship. The scribe in today’s text thought he was paying a high price as he volunteered to follow in that it would cost him popularity and time. Though He was the Son of Man, Christ responded that He would enjoy fewer creature comforts than foxes and birds. Luke 9:22 puts the two together. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (See1 Peter 2:20-21)

• Our decision to build the kingdom of God must be deliberate. Jesus wants us to be His disciples, but only after we have considered the difficulties associated with the decision.
• Our decision to build the kingdom of God must be comprehensive. Jesus wants us to be His disciples, but only after we have understood the scope of our decision.
• Our decision to build the kingdom of God must be firm. Jesus wants us to be His disciples, but only after we have grasped the permanence of our decision.

A man was killed at a railroad crossing one summer evening in 1891. His relatives sued the railroad, claiming negligence on the part of the watchman. During the ensuing trial, the watchman was called to the witness stand. The prosecuting attorney asked him several questions. “Were you on duty at the crossing at the time of the accident?” “Yes sir, I was.” “Did you have a lantern?” “Yes sir, I did.” “Did you wave your lantern in warning?” “Yes sir, several times.” Having answered in the affirmative to every question, the watchman helped the railroad win its case. An officer of the railroad came to see the watchman later to thank him for giving evidence in favour of the railroad. The officer inquired, “Tell me, Mr. Jarvis, were you nervous during the questioning at the trial?” The watchman replied, “Yes, I feared every moment that he would ask, ’Was the lantern lit?’”

We must keep our lantern lit at all times, shine for Jesus regardless of which situation we find ourselves.