The Kingdom of Heaven in Action!

Comfort for Security Matthew 8:18-34 By Tim & Lisa Henton We live in a world consumed with both comfort and security. What if Jesus asked us to trade in one for the other. And what if Jesus wanted to redefine what “security” really even looks like in the process.

“When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”” Matthew 8:18-22 NIV

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”” Matthew 8:23-27 NIV

“When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.” Matthew 8:28-34 NIV

Trading Comfort For Security “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” What? One of the statements that Jesus makes that challenges our preconceived ideas of what he is about and what he is up to in our lives and the world He is not Saying...Don't Follow...You Will Never Have a place… Don't Honor your Father or Mother He is Saying… When you set out to follow me I want you to know that there are going to be things that I ask you to lay down or prioritize. If Comfort is getting in the way of eternal security… Jesus is going to ask us to trade it in If dead things… are slowing down or preventing the mission of Jesus in our life (bringing us to life) he is going to tell us to leave them and let them be buried. Specifically driving home not just being loyal to our Family of Origin, Challenging the thing of Loyalty, who are you loyal to and challenging us to see that in him… and in His new Kingdom... “Our Family” is massively expanded “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”Matthew 12:48 Jesus is not anti Family! Far from it. He is actually laying out how Family, really is effective and lived out… Responsibility… undue attachment to doing the right thing in societies eyes (burying your father)or doing the comfortable thing can in fact prevent the mission of Jesus the mission of the kingdom in our life.

“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Nothing comfortable about this scene… Waves coming over the side, Nothing secure about this scene... fear of death Here the Master begins to reveal why he is worth listening to when he says things that we don't like the sound of at first He says… and then He demonstrates. He says these things, that we don't really get. the disciples didn't get it and then he walks us through what he has been saying. Jesus is asking us to be willing to trade comfort (a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint) for real eternal security (the state of being free from danger or threat.). His security that is rooted in Eternity!

Jesus Brings Freedom! It's what he does. Freedom from the things of death that try and do wrap their fingers around our life. This includes Freedom From the demonic We often times give entry access or leverage to the demonic with our unhealthy attachments to our “comfort” and our idea of “security”. Think about it! prior to meeting Jesus these guys had no home and no security, they were a threat to the communities security. And Jesus Brings freedom! The painting "The Swine Driven into the Sea" (circa late 1890s) by James Tissot. Public Domain

Eternal Security Jesus is inviting us to trust in His Authority! Lay Down our need to find our own comfort and security. Because when we go after them they end up possessing us. We Can become slaves to our comfort, “ like my car, comfy car, “i like my big screen” I like my idea of what a “family should look like” My kid following in my footsteps, or my spouse looking like or acting like this These things can flip on us and jump on top of us and end up holding us back from the eternally secure life that JEsus wants us to be able to live right now. He knows this about us. The invitation is to trust him. He wants to The Invitation Is to Lay down arrogance ( Self Sufficiency)