follow Him, and that in circumstances of peculiar trail and difficulty.42 The expression 'to

follow' a Teacher would, in those days be universally understood as implying

discipleship. Again, no other duty would be regarded as more sacred than that they, on

whom the obligation naturally devolved, should bury the dead. To this everything must

give way - even prayer, and the study of the Law.43 Lastly, we feel morally certain, that,

when Christ called thi s disciple to follow Him, He was fully aware that at that very

moment his father lay dead. Thus, He called him not only to homelessness - for this he

might have been prepared - but to set aside what alike natural feeling and the Jewish

Law seemed to impose on him as the most sacred duty. In the seemingly strange reply,

which Christ made to the request to be allowed first to bury his father, we pass over the

consideration that, according to Jewish law, the burial and mourning for a dead father,

and the subsequent purifications, would have occupied many days, so that it might have

been difficult, perhaps impossible, to overtake Christ. We would rather abide by the

simple words of Christ. They teach us this very solemn and searching lesson, that there

are highe r duties than either those of the Jewish Law, or even of natural reverence, and

a higher call than that of man. No doubt Christ had here in view the near call to the

Seventy - of whom this disciple was to be one - to 'go and preach the Kingdom of God.'

Whe n the direct call of Christ to any work comes - that is, if we are sure of it from His

own words, and not (as, alas! too often we do) only infer it by our own reasoning on His

words - then every other call must give way. For, duties can never be in conflict - and

this duty about the living and life must take precedence of that about death and the

dead. Nor must we hesitate, because we know not in what form this work for Christ may

come. There are critical moments in our inner history, when to postpone the i mmediate

call, is really to reject it; when to go and bury the dead - even though it were a dead

father - were to die ourselves!

Yet another hindrance to following Christ was to be faced. Another in the company that

followed Christ would go with Him, but he asked permission first to go and bid farewell

to those whom he had left in his home. It almost seems as if this request had been one

of those 'tempting' que stions, addressed to Christ. But, even if otherwise, the farewell

proposed was not like that of Elisha, nor like the supper of Levi -Matthew. It was rather

like the year which Jephtha's daughter would have with her companions, ere fulfilling

the vow. It sho ws, that to follow Christ was regarded as a duty, and to leave those in the

earthly home as a trial; and it betokens, not merely a divided heart, but one not fit for the

Kingdom of God. For, how can he draw a straight furrow in which to cast the seed, who,

as he puts his hand to the plough, looks around or behind him?

Thus, these are the three vital conditions of following Christ: absolute self-denial and

homelessness in the world; immediate and entire self -surrender to Christ and His Work,

and a heart and affections simple, undivided, and set on Christ and His Work, to which

there is no other trial of parting like that which would involve parting from Him, no other

or higher joy than that of following Him. In such spirit let them now go after Christ in Hi s

last journey - and to such work as He will appoint them!