First we read of the disciples of Jesus being directed by Him to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
And whoever would not receive them, the disciples were to be unshaken, but to shake the dust off their feet ...and move to the next city or settlement.
Many who believed and wanted to hear more, followed and the disciples were concerned that they did not have enough to feed all of them. There were about 5 thousand, and Jesus fed them with 5 loaves and two fish. (This was the first time of two separate events where thousands of people were fed in this miraculous way.)
Before John the Baptist had been killed, when he had been baptizing, he had baptized Jesus ...at which a voice from above declared this is His Son, in whom He is well pleased. Yes, Jesus wanted the Kingdom of God to be announced ...and it would later be shown through the crucifixion, the sacrifice of the One who is truly God's Son. Yet, that was not to be fully revealed as of yet.
Jesus went up to a mountain to pray, and we read of the transfiguration of Moses and Elijah ...a sort of coming together of the law and the prophets. And again, a voice from above called out, "This is my beloved Son: hear Him."
Later, we see a man crying out for his only son to be delivered and saved from his worldly (or otherworldly) torment. And Jesus delivered the man's child from the torment.
Now, I have occasion to lose my point while looking at so many other points, so instead of researching this point, I will just give my point of view. I think there are those who view the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of heaven as the same thing. Yet, Jesus was utilizing His disciples to join in spreading the kingdom of God, which in turn would lead to the kingdom of heaven, but the kingdom of God was a kingdom of the heart ...which is why it seems many people rejected it. Yet, the heart leaps with joy when loved ones are delivered and healed ...and that helps turning the heart to the true love of the One who is love. And how much more when the heart realizes that beyond miracles ...that this same King of Kings died a horrific crucifixion to deliver us all, if we would only believe.
The kingdom of God spreading through the hearts of believers is a beautiful thing ...yet, it is not as beautiful of a thing to then begin to focus on the kingdom of heaven, not as a hope realized, but as a status once arriving there. Some of the disciples were now entertaining the idea of who would sit on his left and right in the heavenly paradise ...or as it says, who would be greatest.
Jesus invited a child to come to Him, and mentioned that those who appear as the least, are the greatest ...sort of putting others before ourselves ---or like a child, taking in the moment and finding joy in it, instead of thinking beyond while our mind travels into areas that bring in comparisons and conflict.
The disciples mentioned that there were those who were not believers as they themselves were ...and they were performing some of the same goodness. Yet, Jesus said they were not to forbid anyone from doing good, as those who are not against Him is for them ...and they should focus on their purpose (which would also include not thinking how esteemed they will be in heaven.)
When they came to a village, Jesus was not received ---yet, he told His disciples that His purpose is not to harm people's lives, but to help (save) them ---and they went to another village.
At this point, Jesus is addressing many different people whom only He knows all about them, their present condition, how committed they are, and to what degree they would follow through on their bold declarations. So, it is difficult to directly apply his responses to them and think it directly applies to all of us.
One of the men tells Jesus he will follow Him wherever He goes. And Jesus responds that foxes have holes and birds have nests, but Jesus and His disciples never quite know where they will find their rest at the end of the day.
Jesus invites another to follow Him, and the man says he has something to do first ...to bury his father. And it is here that we really don't know the heart of the person ...but Jesus does. And Jesus tells the man to let the dead bury the dead. Perhaps the man was the oldest and not so much solely felt the responsibility to bury his dad, but knew he had an inheritance coming from him. I don't know, but Jesus does know ...and the inheritance coming forth with the kingdom of God is through the heart.
Jesus invited another, and this man also agrees with the same "but first". This man wanted to bid farewell to those at his home first.
Now, if I was to just take off somewhere without first telling my family ...I don't know exactly how long it would take to miss me, but eventually there would be a beginning of concern. When more time elapsed and I still did not show up, well, there would be a point when they would say this wasn't like me to do this (actually, I always notify someone or leave notes). Yes, communication is key for me ---yet, after much time they would not be thinking of an inheritance that they could begin splitting up ---as I have none. The inheritance I have shared with them has always been the knowledge of the inheritance they have through Jesus.
As for the second man mentioned, perhaps going home to bid farewell was an easy way for a person to avoid saying "No."
I know a few people who find it very hard to say, "No." Yet, these same people seldom do what they say they will do, so after a while most everyone knows that their professed "yes", actually is not a "yes". And with this man, Jesus knows what none of us know ...as it could be that those at his home would make it difficult for him to leave, and likely he knew that. Perhaps not.
Perhaps he thought he would never come across Jesus a second time where he'd be asked what happened ...but, he'd be wrong. None of us will avoid Jesus ---we only choose to accept Him, or not.
And Jesus didn't just let the dead bury the dead ...on more than one occasion He actually brought the dead back to life. And concerning those having to cope with the death of a loved one, when He was being crucified, Jesus told the apostle John to take care of His mom ...and in return, Mary was to look to John as her son.
So, there is not inconsistency when we read of other things Jesus said. The above examples we read about were when Jesus spoke to certain men, yet we read of occasions when Jesus speaks to a hillside filled with people ...yes, speaking to all of them.
And He told them to take care of the poor ---to one, stating they should sell all their possessions and give to the poor.
On another occasion, He told them how to send out invitations when having a huge banquet. Obviously, if they had sold all their possessions, they would not be able to have a huge banquet, but God has each of us prepared for each of our unique purposes ...and Jesus said the poor, crippled, lame, and blind should be invited to the huge banquet. (In a way, we are all crippled, lame, and blind ...though we shouldn't be blind to the fact that we are all invited to the huge banquet that will be prepared for us in Heaven.)
If we don't know of the love of Jesus, as He died for our sins ---then there is no rebirth in us, through His love. We are missing out on the freeing knowledge that must enter our hearts ...that frees us from being dead in our sins. And being dead to that truth, we continue to bury ourselves within that death that sin consumes within us.
And we also help to bury others with our professed unbelief ...unless we decide to embrace the truth and not continue to bury the deadly condition of unbelief, heaping on more unbelief.
That's a heap to think about ...
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