Jesus' big deal

Kids often get told that they're making a big deal out of nothing. No one understands why you're grumpy because your best friend is going to basketball camp this summer and you're not!

Jesus would understand that some things are important to you and not to other people, though. In this week's Gospel (Luke 9:51-62), He tries to tell people how important God is, and they won't listen!

Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem with His disciples when someone came to Him and said, "I'll follow you wherever you go." Jesus said, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but I have no home." Then another person said, "I'll follow you, but first let me bury my father, who died." Jesus answered: "Leave the dead, and follow me now." A third person said to Jesus, "I'll follow you, but first let me say goodbye to my family." And Jesus answered, "If you do, you don't belong in God's kingdom."

To Jesus, heaven was like basketball camp. It was a cool place and He wanted everyone to go there with Him -- so when people said they had other things to do, Jesus felt pretty angry!

Sometimes, the things that are important to you aren't such a big deal to other people. Your family thinks you're making a big deal out of nothing for wanting to go to camp, because they want to save money. The people Jesus met thought that going to a funeral or saying goodbye to their families was more important than dropping everything to follow Jesus.

Basketball camp might be really important to you, and it's hard to know you can't go. But to Jesus, the hardest thing of all would be not to go to heaven!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me remember that the most important place to be is with you. Amen!

(06-25-98)

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