Forward and March

Read: Luke 9:51-62

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.

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

I love a good deep look at Jesus.  One of those long hard stares where you see far into His character and feel yourself pulled deeper into loving Him.  Our passage today gives us one of those.  On the surface, it simply looks like Jesus traveling along, encountering people who won’t accept or come along with Him.  But it is so much richer.

Look at the first sentence.  When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.  Jesus can tell that the clock is ticking; soon He will be handed over to torture, scorn, and a cross.  Loss and betrayal wait for Him in Jerusalem.  It’s made even harder by the fact that all around Him is encouragement to abandon His mission.  Disciples have refused to understand His predictions; He could easily forget the real plan and not disappoint His disciples.  Peter has offered to build tents upon the mountain, away from the angry world.  James and John suggest raining down fire on those who would oppose Him.  Satan himself has pointed out that in one snap, Jesus could take His place as King without all the extra trouble of a crucifixion.  Doesn’t it make you love Him more to see Him so brave and courageous despite what was ahead, despite the temptation to quit?  So fixed on His mission to redeem His people—to redeem you?

How often do we face hard things with resolution and determination?  Or do we tend to run away from difficulties?  How much do we hide from the potential pain? What do we miss by doing that?  I hate conflict.  I will avoid a confrontation, a confession, a difficult person in any way possible.  How often have I missed a renewed friendship or needed forgiveness or an unexpected blessing by running away?

Perhaps worse, how many things have I said I would do but then didn’t?  Our passage contrasts Jesus’s determination with three people who say they will follow him but then, we assume, do not.  Faced with the reality of immediately following Jesus into hard things, they back off.

Is that familiar to you?  What is Jesus calling you to do?  Mission work?  Family work?  Ministry?  Is your face set like flint?  Are you willing to go no matter what?  Jesus points out that as a farmer plows his field, facing forward, we must also walk toward the mission.  You can’t make a straight row looking behind you.  Our eyes must focus ahead, to Heaven, to Jesus.

Sound hard?  Absolutely.

But I digress.  We were looking at Jesus, weren’t we?  Let me leave you then with a final glimpse of our Lord.

It’s been a long day.  An entire village has rejected him. Two of his friends have brashly offered to burn the village down (He’s had to rebuke them for that).  Three more times He’s paused along the road to encounter potential followers who only disappoint.  It’s depressing to point out again and again how rough this journey is and see them slink away.  He’s bone-tired from walking and so dirty. Tonight He will sleep… where?  He will eat…what?  What will tomorrow look like?

“Tomorrow,” thinks Jesus, “it will be time to send out others, two by two, to gather more believers.  There are people who need healing.  There are demons to be banished.  Yes, let’s ramp up this work.  This is no time to stop.  I’ve got a world to save.”

Don’t you just love Him?