Two Bundle Babies (fresh from bath)

Sugar bowls & Choc Strawberries

Matthew 8 The Cost of Heaven's Citizenship

In Matthew 8, Jesus has just finished the Sermon on the Mount and continues His ministry by means of healing and responding to people. He first heals a leper based on His 'willingness'. Jesus then is approached by a Roman soldier who asks healing for a servant who is paralyzed. Based on parallel accounts this servant is more like a son to the Centurion soldier. The key teaching in this paragraph concerns the authority of Jesus. The point is that those who recognize the authority of Jesus will have a strong faith in Him.
After more healing, Jesus is approached by two would-be followers. The first offers to follow Jesus wherever He goes. Jesus response is that His followers may have to homeless. Jesus shows that those who are committed to growing as citizens of His kingdom will have to set aside significant earthly comforts. The second would-be follower asks if he can first 'bury his father' and then follow Jesus. Undoubtedly, one of the most difficult things that the followers of Jesus must set aside are family priorities. We still have huge family responsibilities as followers of Jesus, but we also are called upon to establish heavenly priorities in taking care of those family responsibilities. The key phrase that this would-be follower uses is, "Permit me first..." That is one thing that Jesus cannot do for him or for us. Rather, we must follow the example of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and pray, "nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will..."
The final 'setting aside' that the followers of Jesus are asked to do, is to set aside fear. Jesus had informed the disciples that they were going to the other side of the lake. When an incredible storm (called a 'mega' storm in the Greek) threatens the ship and their lives the disciples are greatly afraid. Jesus exhorts them to have more faith, and therefore to not be afraid.
1 John 4.11-18 helps with the idea of us setting aside fear. Loving others is our calling and as we develop that calling it leads to 'perfect love' which 'casts out fear'.
There is nothing easy about following Jesus. Salvation is free, but growth in the Christian life is filled with difficulties and costs. As followers of Jesus we need to be willing to set aside earthly comfort, earthly priorities and earthly fears.

The Only Begotten Son

According to John 1.18; 3.16 &18 and 1 John 4.9 Jesus is “the only begotten Son” [monogenase]. Begotten means born, it is the word we derive generate and generation from. In the above verses the prefix ‘mono’ is added to the word ‘begotten’.

In newer translations and paraphrases, like the NIV and The Message the composite word is translated “one and only Son” (NIV) and “only Son” (The Message). These versions capture some of the meaning of ‘only begotten’ or ‘only born’ [monogenase], but they do not communicate the idea of being born which is essential to the word.

The difficulty with translating the word ‘only born’ is the fact that in our western culture one would immediately think of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, which is not the primary meaning. Acts 13.30-34 states, “But God raised Him from the dead… And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today i have begotten You.’” Clearly, the fact of Jesus being the “only born Son” is based on His resurrection not His incarnation.

In the context of John 3, Nicodemus has come to Jesus to ask about how to obtain a significant relationship with God. Jesus answered that the way one gains a significant relationship with God is by being born into it (‘born again’ or ‘born from above’). It is the “only born Son” alone who provides an invitation to “whosoever” a new birth. Those who receive this new birth gain the significant relationship with God, and they gain it from the One who gives life from the dead.