Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him,”Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid my family farewell who are in my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62
Everything in the Christian life centers on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not saved to further develop our own plans for our life, but to follow His example and yet that is not what saves us. It was the finished work of the cross for us, and by placing our trust in Him, that He becomes our great pattern of life. In our text today, we see some examples of people who for a better lack of term, needed more knowledge of their commitment and what it means to follow after Christ. Let’s have a closer look. In Luke’s account Jesus and His disciples went into a village of the Samaritans, before Jesus came He sent a few of them ahead to make accommodations for their arrival. Jesus, by now had large parties of people traveling with Him. And so they went into the village of the Samaritans to make preparations and the people there did not receive Him, because it was obvious to them that He was heading towards Jerusalem. For the time of the feast of Passover was approaching. The Samaritans felt that the Passover should be celebrated there on Mount Gerizim, in Samaria since it was the place where Abraham built an altar to sacrifice his son Isaac. And so the Samaritans felt this was the place to worship God. So when Jesus arrived into their village, there was just no hospitality given to Him. And so when the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” And now we know why Jesus called them the sons of thunder. Here is our first example that we are not serving our own rendition of God’s kingdom, but rather, the kingdom of God that already exists, and to follow after the examples of Jesus Christ when we are doing it. But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”(Luke 9:54-56)
Here is Jesus announcing His purpose for coming to this earth. And so during all of this, there were many eyewitnesses who saw for themselves the model of power and genuine humility from which He taught His disciples. And there response was, hey, where do I sign up! I want to be one of Your followers too! And so to the first fellow, Jesus says to him, “count the cost.” There are a lot people today, who are touched with emotion by the message of the cross. Great evangelical outreaches reach many with the gospel message about having faith in Jesus Christ, and receiving Him into your life as your personal Lord and Savior. Are you though, willing to pay the price? That is what Jesus is telling this first man, “Oh, Lord, I will do anything for You.” Jesus said, I don’t even own the bed I sleep in, are you sure, have you considered at what cost it will be to you? Are you willing to give up everything for Me?
Now the second man, Jesus just said to him, “Follow me.” The first one volunteered, and Jesus warned of the cost, but to this other, He said, “Follow Me.” We know that God does call men still today into the ministry. And the second man said, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” And Jesus response: “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” Does that sound insensitive? Doesn’t Jesus care that we be allowed to bury our loved ones and give them their proper respect? But in this case, the term would be referring to a procrastination. It didn’t mean that your father is dead, it is a phrase that is still used today, he meant rather, I want to stick around my home for a while, and wait until at least my father has lived out his life, then I will come and follow You. Burials at that time were done the very next day. So in sense he is telling Jesus, maybe one day, I will answer Your calling.
Not good. We cannot ever justify procrastinating our entering a life of faith, and become born again. The Bible makes it clear, “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) Paul wrote to the Corinthians a quote from Isaiah 49:8, he was passionately concerned that they adhere to the truth of sound doctrine because it was God’s time to save them and that he and others with him were just the messengers for helping spread that message.
So then there is this third man, who wants to go back to his house and bid his family farewell. Sounds reasonable doesn’t it? Jesus said to him, “No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” It takes commitment, a total commitment to Jesus Christ, and Him only. It may cost you your family relationships. You can never go forward looking backwards.
Beloved friend, If you are a Christian today, I don’t have to remind you of the importance of counting the costs to follow after Christ. The Bible says, we are to deny ourselves take up our cross, and follow Him. While the cost may seem extreme, it is essential, of utmost importance to trust that God has already worked out why it is essential. For one thing, If you’re like me, then you’ve been praying for loved ones in your home or in your families to come to Christ. It is important to realize that they are watching you in your behavior, in your commitment of trust in the Lord. How we handle adversity and times of trials and testing. Yet, it is through these tough times that we are becoming stronger in Christ. This world has nothing to offer us that could ever match the priceless grace and peace that has already been given to us in Christ Jesus. Let His love and life be seen in you, as we follow after His patterns for living. And God will bring others to Himself from our witness and faithfulness. Praise God!
May the Lord bless your walk with Him today!
WONDERFUL EXPOSITION!!!! I had dim areas that The Holy Spirit just made clear thru you Brother Ron! Blessings to You & yours! Love in CHRIST :^)