Matthew 8:19

Saturday, 15 March 2025   Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Matthew 8:19   “And having come, one scribe, he said to Him, ‘I will follow You wherever, if You may go’” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus saw many crowds around Him and commanded that He and the disciples depart to the other side. Having said that, Matthew next records, “And having come, one scribe.”   Nothing is said of who this is. It simply notes that he is one of the scribes. It is surmised, and likely so, that this person saw Jesus’ miracles and was impressed enough to follow Him. But the reasoning behind the decision appears to be for personal gain. It was just noted that there were “many crowds.”   Crowds consist of people. Many crowds mean lots of people. Where lots of people gather, money is usually abundant, even among the poor. Like with selling insurance, a little from each quickly adds to a big bank account. It is the rule of multiplication.   Jesus, on the other hand, wasn’t there for “many crowds.” Instead, He was there to accomplish the will of the Father, regardless of the gain He could receive. The scribes were already in a position to have wealth. He says nothing of giving up his current status. Instead, it next says that “he said to Him, ‘I will follow You wherever, if You may go.’”   Jesus is set to go to the other side. The scribe may have assumed He was going to increase the number of people he could encounter over there, thus increasing his possible income as well. This is all speculation, but Jesus’ answer to him in the coming verse appears to suggest it is a correct line of reasoning.   Life application: In the church today, like in the church throughout history, there is often the idea of gathering wealth through multiplication. It is normal for a pastor or preacher to want to increase the size and scope of his ministry. This should be expected because he is putting forth a message that he, hopefully, believes is true and is worth getting out to the masses.   However, a ministry can get quickly derailed from that original purpose by receiving exactly what it was looking for. By increasing in size, there is also a need for more space to meet. In making more space, which costs more money, there is then the need to make more in order to pay for the things it has taken on in the form of liabilities.   And so, more people are needed to help pay those incurred liabilities. As such, a ministry expands, gets a certain number of people to give, sees the money coming in, and then wants to expand again. One way this has been handled, which then takes the pressure off the local church, is to form denominations.   The RCC, for example, keeps the original structure of instruction but now places all the liabilities (and ultimate profits) under one main umbrella. That main body can now control the direction of all other churches under it. As more money is needed, it begins to assimilate aberrant teachings into it because it needs to keep the revenue stream going.   This is known as syncretism, the uniting of different beliefs, cultures, schools of thought, etc., as if each belief is acceptable within the larger umbrella. This is the RCC in a nutshell. It has innumerable false teachings at various levels and in various cultures that may not flow up or over, but they keep the local churches happy.   Sometimes, these aberrant teachings get an audience, and the entire church begins to accept them into their religious thinking. Having happy and content worshippers, regardless of the truth, is profitable. Therefore, a general state of apostasy begins to take over.   It has been seen in innumerable denominations over the past centuries. Today’s major denominations have doctrines that are completely at odds with the original teachings that established them. And the reason for this is almost always the same, money. Compromising for the sake of money, along with fame and power, is a hallmark of churches that expand too much or too quickly.   Be on guard concerning where you go and who you listen to. Subtle changes concerning doctrine within churches or denominations may not seem to be a big deal, but within a span of time, the people in the pews have been stewed into a state of complacency that they didn’t even realize had come about.   Only the wise will look around and say, “Things have changed, we need to move out of here before we are stewed along with everyone else.” How do you think abortion has become acceptable within so many denominations? What about homosexuality?   These denominations would never have tolerated such things when they started. But now, they permeate almost all churches within their scope of authority. In some cases, every single church has bowed the knee to such terrible changes in doctrine.   Glorious God Almighty, help us to be set in our doctrine early on. And we know that will not take place unless we are aware of what is proper. And we cannot do that unless we know Your word. Therefore, O God, give us the hunger, desire, and time necessary to know Your precious word. Amen.