Blake Allen, Student and Outreach Minister, LHBC
Luke 9:57-62
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.”
Recently I played a game with our students called “what would it take?” The object of the game was to hear from the students what it would take to make a commitment to something. Here are the questions I asked:
What would it take to give up all interactive technology for a month (phone, gaming consoles, computer, etc.)?
What would it take to give up speaking for a month?
What would it take to stay in one room for an entire month?
After asking the first question, I thought I was going to have to call the paramedics. Students went pale in the face at the thought of giving up their technology. Remember the epic NOOOOOOOO from the scene in Star Wars when Darth Vader found out his anger was the cause of Padme’s death? That scene pretty much sums up the responses I got.
The second and third question elicited several different responses such as: “a ton of money,” “a speed boat and a lake house,” “all my favorite things in the world,” “no gonna happen captain.” It was a fun little exercise that elicited a variety of answers. The point I want to drive home is that before we make commitments, we want to know what it will cost us.
When we come to Luke 9, Jesus tells us to consider the cost of following Him. In this story three different people claim they will follow Jesus wherever He goes. But each one fails to count the cost of following Christ. To the first person, Jesus says, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Jesus is essentially saying there is no guarantee you will have earthly comforts or security if you choose to follow Him. Jesus is testing the man’s faithfulness to see if he believes Jesus would be enough for Him. This is the problem with what is referred to as the “prosperity gospel.” Jesus doesn’t promise us health, wealth, and prosperity. He doesn’t promise to make our lives comfortable and easy. He came not to make us happy but to make us holy. He came not to give us earthly treasures but push us to build our treasures in heaven. He called the rich young ruler to sell all of his money and give it to the poor to test the young rulers commitment. It’s not that money or possessions are bad, it’s an issue of priority and commitment. Is Jesus enough for you? Is Jesus your priority in all aspects of your life?
To the second man, Jesus responded, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” When you first read this it seems strange. Will the Lord really not let this man bury his father before following Him? But most scholars believe that this man’s father was actually still alive. If this is the case, then the man was actually waiting for his father to pass away so he could collect his inheritance. Jesus was calling for this man’s undivided attention. The mission of God deserves our undivided attention. We were created to bring glory and honor to God. We live for Him and Him alone.
To the third man, Jesus responded, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” The point Jesus is making is this: we may miss out on things such as family or life events if we follow Jesus. Kingdom commitments will take priority over all other commitments. We will have to choose him over all others. Jesus wants our undivided affection. There cannot be competing values with Jeus. Do you love and value Him above all?
We must all count the cost of following Jesus. Does He have your undivided attention and affection? Is Jesus enough for you?
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord, may we trust you beyond measure. Let our hearts and minds be totally committed to you Lord. For you deserve our undivided attention and affection. May we remove any idols from our life, for you are God alone. You are our strength. You are our peace. You are our comfort. You are enough.
MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK:
Hebrews 6:19- We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain