Family or Faith?
The Background:
My cousin's getting married, so he's having an engagement party.
At church we have an annual camp for the kiddies years 6 - 12. To be a leader you have to turn up to 4 / 6 meetings. BUT I'll be in Melbourne for 1 meeting and Kenya for another. Therefore I can't miss out on any others.
The Problem:
My cousin's engagement party is on the same day and at the same time as one of the camp meetings.
The Conversation:
Mum: "Matt, are you coming to the engagement party?" (even though she already knew my answer was no)
Me: "Unfortunately I can't. I have a meeting at church."
Mum: "But surely family comes first?"
Me: "Silence. Silent grumble. More silence."
What was Going on in my Head:
Didn't Jesus say that we should give up everything to follow him? It's not as if I'm barring my cousin. I'll be at his wedding and I'm going to the Gold Coast with him in September to a concert to support Amnesty International.
And as for the question, "Surely family comes first?", isn't the answer "No"?
Luke 9: The Cost of Following Jesus
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family."
62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Or am I wrong? Have I missed the point?
My cousin's getting married, so he's having an engagement party.
At church we have an annual camp for the kiddies years 6 - 12. To be a leader you have to turn up to 4 / 6 meetings. BUT I'll be in Melbourne for 1 meeting and Kenya for another. Therefore I can't miss out on any others.
The Problem:
My cousin's engagement party is on the same day and at the same time as one of the camp meetings.
The Conversation:
Mum: "Matt, are you coming to the engagement party?" (even though she already knew my answer was no)
Me: "Unfortunately I can't. I have a meeting at church."
Mum: "But surely family comes first?"
Me: "Silence. Silent grumble. More silence."
What was Going on in my Head:
Didn't Jesus say that we should give up everything to follow him? It's not as if I'm barring my cousin. I'll be at his wedding and I'm going to the Gold Coast with him in September to a concert to support Amnesty International.
And as for the question, "Surely family comes first?", isn't the answer "No"?
Luke 9: The Cost of Following Jesus
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family."
62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Or am I wrong? Have I missed the point?
posted by - Matt at 11:13
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