Humility Again - Luke 10:21-24 - June 25, 2023

 Luke 10:21–24 Humility Again 

Good morning! We are returning to our study in the book of Luke this morning with chapter ten, verses 21-24 page 868 in the pew Bibles. 

Our passage this morning comes right on the return of the seventy two on their successful trip preparing people to receive Jesus on His way to Jerusalem. If you remember from last week these disciples rejoiced on their return that the evil spirits were subject to them in His Name and Jesus reminded them of an even greater miracle that they should rejoice in: that their names were written in the book of life in heaven. 

This wasn’t Jesus scolding them simply reminding them of more important things. In fact, our text for this morning is Jesus’ reaction to their joyful return to Him and a strong reminder of the proper attitude for disciples to adopt. 

Let’s look at our text together. 

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 

23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” 

Let’s pray. 

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this passage is right here at the outset. Jesus rejoices in the Spirit. The commentators are agreed in saying that the word “rejoiced” is too weak a word. I think that we might struggle to come up with an appropriate term for what was really happening. 

Greatly exulted in His Spirit is the best those old commentators could come up with. He was filled with joy at the report of the reception of the seventy two, He rejoiced deeply in His Spirit. This is the only account of Jesus experiencing this kind of joy though I’m sure that it wasn’t foreign to Him. 

His is one of those rare, veil lifting, moments when we get to see a glimpse of Jesus’ inner man and the joy He experienced in His heart. 

And what was it that filled Him with this uncontainable joy? 

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 

Another theological footnote here, do you see the Trinity expressed here? 

The word “Trinity” doesn’t appear anywhere in Scripture but here is the concept right on the surface: God the Son rejoicing in God the Holy Spirit, thanking God the Father for His grace to these disciples. That was just a bonus nugget there, it’s not the one point of this sermon.

Anyway, Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and thanks the Father for His expression of grace upon the disciples. And when He does He makes a contrast between the disciples which He calls, “little children,” and those He refers to as the wise and understanding. 

It is extremely important for us to recognize that Jesus is in no way comparing educated people to uneducated people, intelligent people to less intelligent people. This comparison has nothing at all to do with how much school a person has been to, it’s a question of pride. 

But before we go pointing our fingers at who exactly is acting or thinking pridefully about themselves we ought to take a second for a little self examination. 

I’ll start with me. 

Early in my ministry journey, though I had many opportunities to pursue higher education, I took pride in the fact that I was an unschooled ordinary man just like Peter and John were called in the book of Acts. In fact, I held onto that idea until last February when I finally finished my Bachelor’s degree in ministry. I can no longer claim that unschooled part, still pretty ordinary but whatever… 

The truth is that pride was and still is the problem, and that is the true comparison that Jesus is making. 

The disciples were like little children in the fact that they didn’t see themselves as more important than they really were, they weren’t too big for their breeches like the religious leaders of the day. 

The wise and the understanding were those that saw themselves that way. Those who saw themselves as wise and understanding and important rejected Jesus and His message. They craved the status and the power and the control that came with their station, and because of their pride the Father passed over them with the Good News. 

Alistair Begg said, “The contrast is between those who imagine themselves to be so wise and sensible and learned that they then can pronounce judgments on the truth of the gospel.” 

So what’s the message there? Don’t be like that! 

Be humble enough to submit to the truth of the gospel. 

A salvation from the outside, not based on personal merit and worth and status is truly a humbling thing. A salvation not obtained by great learning but by simple, unadorned faith. 

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 

Jesus said in verse 22, All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 

Here again we see the sovereign grace of the Father at work. 

Again it’s important to get the idea that the Father is not without witness in the world.

Psalm 19:1–4 says, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. 

Romans 1:18-23 says that there are certainly attributes of the Father that the entire world can see in creation itself. 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 

But what Jesus means is that only through Him can we know the Father as Father, to know Him intimately as Jesus does. He has chosen to reveal Himself only through the Son, only through Jesus. 

In John 14:1–11 Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 

Jesus is the chosen instrument to reveal the Father to mankind. The only instrument. Jesus is the only way to God. That is what makes Christianity unique in the religions of the world, this claim that Jesus is the only way to know God personally. 

All religions are not basically the same. All religions do not lead to God. Jesus is the only way to know God. John Calvin wrote, “Whatever God has determined must be regarded by us as right.” This is just the way it is. 

22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 

This is a truth we must not apologize for, this is a truth we must humbly stand on.

JJ vanOosterzee wrote, “The Savior declares therefore that a man can be guided only by the knowledge of the Son to that of the Father, but also conversely that a man can be guided only by the Father to the knowledge of the Son.” 

Either way it is an act of grace, and that should humble us. 

23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” 

I have to say that I love verses 23-24. What a humbling reminder to the disciples that day. 

RC Sproul wrote, “Wouldn’t Abraham have rejoiced to see the feeding of the five thousand! Wouldn’t Moses have enjoyed listening to the Sermon on the Mount! Wouldn’t Elijah have delighted to watch Jesus turn water into wine! Wouldn’t King Solomon in all his splendor have been willing to part with his riches for the opportunity of witnessing Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead! Do you ever yearn to have been there, to see what the disciples saw? They were indeed blessed. But there will come a time when we will see him face to face, we will hear him with our ears, and that blessing will be ours and his joy will be fulfilled in us.” 

What a blessing we have, little children, to get to see the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s labor through those first disciples to see the gospel spread across the world and God’s kingdom advance to the four corners of the earth! 

Praise Him for the work of His Church! Let’s keep working to spread the gospel until He returns so we can share in His joy! 

Amen.

Laborers and the Lamb's Book of Life - Luke 10:1-20 - June 18, 2023

 Luke 10:1-20 Laborers and the Lamb’s Book of Life

Good morning! Turn with me to Luke chapter 10, we’re going to look at verses 1-20 and that’s on page 868 in the pew Bibles.

I don’t know about you but I was praying that the Lord would take it easy on us this week, because I’ve been feeling a little beat up. We’ll see I guess.

Let’s look at those verses and we’ll jump right in.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. 

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Let’s pray.

Chapter nine began with Jesus sending out the Twelve, two by two, into the villages where Jesus had already been and chapter ten begins with Jesus sending the seventy-two, two by two, into the villages and towns where He hadn’t yet gone but was going to on His way to Jerusalem.

These seventy-two went out and returned and then there is no other mention of this group except maybe in Acts chapter one where they would have numbered a part of the 120 disciples that had followed Jesus from His baptism by John in the Jordan River.

This is important for us to be aware of because this group had no lasting special office in the church that was any different from any other disciples.

But here this group was given a special task by Jesus and there are some things we can learn from Jesus’ instructions to them.

The Twelve were sent out to gather what Jesus had sown. The seventy-two were sent out to till the ground in preparation for Him.

Riggenbach wrote that, “The seventy-two disciples are to be regarded as a net of love which the Lord threw out in Israel.”

Two different metaphors, to be sure, but beautiful pictures nonetheless.

Jesus stuck with the farming metaphor.

First Jesus tells them that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Here is something important for us to remember: Laborers pray for more laborers to labor alongside them. Spectators pray for laborers to do the work for them. Jesus says, “be laborers and pray for more laborers.” 

The fields were ripe for harvest, people were ready for the Good News but there weren’t enough people bringing it to them. This condition still exists today. Be a laborer and pray to the Lord of the harvest for more laborers.

In verse three Jesus tells them, “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

Do you know what a lambs natural defense is? No, because it doesn’t have any. 

Ken Davis used to tell a story about growing up on a farm and having sheep. There was a particular sheep that he didn’t like for some reason so one day he thought he would jump out and scare the sheep as it walked by. So he hid around the corner of the barn and when the sheep approached him he jumped out and yelled, BOO!

Do you know what the sheep did? He died, that was his natural defense.

It’s funny but that exactly where we are without Jesus, totally powerless. He sent the seventy-two out with a reminder that they were completely powerless and they were being sent out in the midst of those who would devour them if given the chance.

And He sent them out in haste, they were to go to the villages and towns in a hurry, preach the kingdom of God, heal the sick, rely on the benevolence and hospitality of those who would listen, warn those who rejected their message, and then report back to Jesus.

4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 

Sodom was a city in the Old Testament that was known for its out of control sexual immorality and complete lack of even a single righteous person and along with the city of Gomorrah was completely destroyed y God with fire and brimstone from heaven.

I’ve actually visited the site and there is hardly anything there but brimstone. Archeologists have found evidence that the city burned both from the top down and the bottom up. It was completely consumed.

But Jesus says that it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Sodom than it will be for any town that rejects the gospel.

Jesus goes on to say, 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. 

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 

Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum were all towns around the Sea of Galilee that Jesus had done many mighty works and preached the Good News of the kingdom in but they rejected Him. Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities north of there on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea that had never heard the gospel and never claimed to know God.

But the measurement at judgment will be the same: did you accept or reject Jesus.

Jesus reminds us of this fact when the seventy-two returned.

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

I think that this is a warning to the church. Maybe you cast out some demons, maybe you healed some people, maybe you raised an good family, maybe you have a nice house, maybe you make a comfortable living, maybe you restarted a dying church and now its full, maybe you did lots of great things in your town or your church, but don’t rejoice in that stuff, that power didn’t come from you anyway, rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

This is a warning.

JJ vanOosterzee wrote, “What anyone does is a very deceiving standard for the judgment of his inner worth, one may cast out devils and yet himself still be a child of darkness.”

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, my least favorite verses in the Bible.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

And Revelation 20:11-15,

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

And how can we know for sure, how do we get our names into the Lamb’s Book of Life, how can we be saved from that terrible fate described in Revelation?

Romans 10:8-13 says,

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

And to those who would be laborers sent out into the harvest:

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Those who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved, and those of us who are saved are also sent as laborers into the harvest, to preach the Good News and pray for more laborers.

Amen.

The Cost of Following Jesus - Luke 9:57-62 - June 11, 2023

 Luke 9:57-62 The Cost of Following Jesus

Good morning! Turn with me to Luke chapter nine. We are continuing our study in the Gospel of Luke with 9:57-62 and that’s on page 868 in the pew Bibles.

Over the last few weeks we have really been run through the ringer by Jesus along with the disciples so I commend you for coming back for more.

I want very much to preach on the many blessings and quiet and peaceful living that comes along with following Jesus but I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen today. In fact, if we’ve been run through the ringer so far, I’m afraid this morning we may get dragged through a knothole backwards.

But all this is for our good.

Let’s read Luke 9:57-62 and then we’ll pray.

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 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.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Let’s pray.

Here we have three examples of those who would follow Jesus but each of them has, to put it politely, a concern. The truth is that they each have an excuse.

We have to remember that Jesus is dealing with three individuals here and He always deals with individuals individually but we can learn from the principles that He lays down here and with the help of the Holy Spirit apply them to our own lives.

I wonder if you remember the First Commandment. You shall have no others gods before me.

And I wonder if you recall what Jesus said was the Greatest Commandment. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

And in our catechism that we’ve been working through question nine asks us: What does God require in the first Commandment? That we know and trust God as the only true and Living God…

This is exactly what Jesus is dealing with in these three examples, what it looks like to put God first by following Jesus.

So let’s look at each one.

The first example is that of an excited and enthusiastic would be follower.

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

In Matthew’s account of this interaction, in Matthew 8, he tells us that this man is a Scribe. This is important information for us so that we get a better understanding of Jesus’ response to his energetic offer to follow Jesus.

In the New Testament, Scribes were educated, leading men in society. They filled a number of roles in government as well as in the religious hierarchy of Israel. These were guys that were used to a certain standard of living, a standard that was pretty high.

So when this guy in his exuberance says, “I’ll follow you wherever you go,” Jesus fills him in a little as to what that might look like.

58 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.”

Is Jesus telling this guy that he can’t follow Him wherever He goes? No, but He is telling Him that following Him would come with a cost.

Jesus didn’t have a home with a nice soft memory foam bed with an orthopedic pillow. He lived a life of humble poverty as He travelled from place to place preaching and teaching about the kingdom. To follow Him meant that this Scribe would have to give up his comfortable lifestyle of high society and be willing to live as Jesus lived.

Following Jesus would come at a cost. For this guy it would come at that cost of his material wealth and possessions. He would have to give that up if he was to follow Jesus wherever He went.

Contrary to the opinion of some, following Jesus does not promise health and wealth but requires us to forsake all that stuff, to put it in its proper place in service to Jesus. Following Jesus does not promise ease but hardships and trouble.

John Calvin wrote about this example: “Let us therefore look upon ourselves as warned in this person, not to boast lightly and at ease, that we will be disciples of Christ, while we are taking no thought of the cross, or of afflictions; but, on the contrary, to consider early what sort of condition awaits us. The first lesson which He gives us, on entering His school, is to deny ourselves and take up His cross.”

That was fun, let’s look at the second example.

This time Jesus Himself calls a man to follow Him.

59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

There are lots of differing opinions on the actual state of this man’s father, whether he was actually dead or only really old and near death. I don’t think it’s really all that complicated considering Jesus’ response to the man’s excuse.

The man didn’t tell Jesus, “no, I won’t follow you,” he just asked if he could just take care of some important business first. Seems reasonable, doesn’t it?

Tradition was to bury the dead on the day they died. Jesus could very well have called this man straight out of the funeral procession and his response was, “just let me take care of my dad and I’ll be right with you.”

But Jesus says, 60 “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Let the physically dead be buried by the spiritually dead. This seems harsh but at the principle level Jesus is reminding us that our primary responsibility is to the kingdom of God not the kingdom of men or of the world.

He’s calling this man to make a courageous decision to leave behind his familial responsibilities in order to proclaim the kingdom.

JJ vanOosterzee wrote, “Duty to a handful of dust must now give way before duty towards mankind.”

That’s what the proclamation of the gospel really is, our duty towards mankind, so that they may know how to no longer be spiritually dead.

Again, John Calvin wrote about this example: “He intends only to show, that whatever withdraws us from the right course, or holds us back in it, deserves no other name than death. Those only live, He tells us, who devote all their thoughts, and every part of their life, to obedience to God; while those that do not rise above the world, who devote themselves to pleasing men, and forget God, are like dead men, who are idly and uselessly employed in taking care of the dead.”

This man that Jesus called could expect his relatives to balk at his leaving his father to be buried by others in order to follow Jesus, to leave behind what his family would consider his responsibilities to his extended family.

To follow Jesus with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, will most likely raise the ire of our families and those that we are close to if they don’t follow Jesus in the same way if at all. They may think that we take this “Jesus thing” way too seriously, or that we’ve turned into a religious fanatic.

Jesus says that that is the way of death, the way the spiritually dead think. We can’t let that be us nor stop us from following Jesus according to His Word.

In verse 61 a third man says he wants to follow Jesus.

61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Now we’ve had folks just put in a garden out here at the church building so this example should be really fresh for some of you. Nobody can rototill a straight line in the garden while looking over their shoulder behind them.

First Century plows were one handed implements that would have been attached to a yoke of oxen. Turning around and looking at the furrow you’ve just made would result in crooked furrows or even a flipped plow. This was a mark of a bad farmer, easily distracted with divided attention.

Following Jesus requires singular devotion.

This man, while professing in words that he would follow Jesus turned his back on Him until he had taken care of his worldly business.

I think Jesus is making a reference to the calling of Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19. While Elijah did allow Elisha to go kiss his mother and father goodbye, this man who said he wanted to follow Jesus was reluctant to separate and break from the world.

This man wanted to put his hand to the plow while looking back at his life, but Elisha burned the yokes and cooked the oxen then followed Elijah. That’s the kind of follower Jesus is looking for.

The simple principle in these three examples is that here is a cost to following Jesus, just like the heading says.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

No excuses. No compromise. No half-heartedness.

Burn the yokes. Cook the oxen. Follow Jesus.

Amen.