After Jesus finished His great Sermon on the Mount, in which He laid forth the character and many of the standards for His disciples, He then went about ministering and actually making disciples. In Matthew 9:19 and following, we see something of what Jesus demanded in the way of priority from those who would follow Him as disciples:

— NO OTHER POSSESSION or COMFORT was to have priority over Him. He warned a potential follower that He had “nowhere to lay His head.” (:20) But no love of luxury or possessions was to eclipse the priority of a genune disciple for following Him.

— NO OTHER PERSON was to be more important than He was to them.  One asked Him: “Permit me first to go and bury my father” (:21) — but Jesus did not teach “family first”; He taught that real discipleship is putting HIM first over every other relationship.  He told him, “Follow Me.” (:22)

— NO OTHER TIME was to have priority either. Notice that the man asked Jesus: “permit me FIRST …” (:21) , THEN he would follow Him. But Jesus would not allow that postponement. The time for obedience is always NOW with Him.

All of these things in the present verses indicate the seriousness the potential disciple is to have towards the Lordship of Jesus in his or her life.  NOTHING else — not personal considerations, comfort, family — NOTHING is to take priorty over Him.

In light of these verses, can you say that you are really a disciple of Jesus today? Do the  priorities of these verses characterize YOUR commitment to Him?