Uncomfortable Comfort

Luke 9:51-62:

When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “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.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Blog:

How often do we feel out of place?  Like we don’t belong where we are or doing what we are doing?  It’s an awful feeling to have but must have been a constant state of mind for the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus as they walked from village to village, town to town, and city to city with the King of kings.  While they were received warmly many times, far too many times, they were not and the mood was certainly uncomfortable and they (He) were (was) unwanted.  But Jesus isn’t just the God of “comfortable” – He’s also the God of “uncomfortable”.  Meaning, Jesus calls us to be “uncomfortable” at times while bringing us moments of “comfortable” in a world that will collectively never be “comfortable” to any of us.  The world can’t be “comfortable” to any of us as we are not “of this world” (see John 15:19, John 17:16).  Jesus made lots of folks “uncomfortable” in this world – so much so that they crucified Him for it.  But, again, the story doesn’t end there as He conquered death via an instrument(s) of death – the cross.  So, let’s get “uncomfortable” per St. Paul in Romans 12:2 and be “Transformed” by the renewing of our minds.  Jesus told us not to love the things of this world, because the world is passing away (right before our eyes).  Instead, He calls us to do the Will of the Father (which is counter-intuitive to the world).  For it’s through our efforts to be “uncomfortable” that we will find Eternal “Comfort” in Heaven with God (1 John 2:15-17).