Aligning Expectations

 

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.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”   Luke 9:57-62 (ESV) It seems that Jesus is trying to discourage people from following Him, when, in reality, He is giving them an opportunity to align their expectations with reality. False expectations lead to trouble and give Satan a plethora of opportunities to discourage and destroy. Jesus is the truth and will only speak in terms of what is true. When we align our lives in the light of what He has said, we will not be disappointed. We may be persecuted, hated, maligned and even killed, but we will not be disappointed, for the truth has set us free.