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51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them ?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 NIV)
The end to Jesus' opposition never ended, even today. Luke shares how the time was drawing near for Jesus to return home to Heaven and He's making His way towards Jerusalem. His plans were to spend the night in a Samaritan village, but the people there did not want to welcome Him because He was bound for Jerusalem. Some other versions read that Jesus was of a mind intent on getting to Jerusalem, meaning they could tell He was not fully going to engage them there. The disciples in both versions have the same response; "Let's call down fire from Heaven to destroy these villages." Jesus said no. And as our sheep friends note, these two are very trigger happy, questioning how much impact Jesus had had up to that point in their discipleship. At no point though, can we saw these men attained perfection during their earthly lives; their loyalty and commitment to Jesus cannot be questioned, their response for some divine retribution was based on that emotional connection to their Teacher, though they were going to extremes in their desire to wipe out an entire village. Jesus rebukes them, and leads them to another village.
On their way to this new village a man approaches Jesus. This man had been in the audience of some, if not all, of Jesus' sermons and teachings in that area. This man has heard the gospel and knows that it comes with an invitation, "Come, follow me." This man probably heard it and did nothing about it except think and reflect. "What does this mean to follow Him? What will that get me? Will it be hard or easy?" And the more they thought about it, the more it seemed plausible that maybe, just maybe, he would follow this itinerate rabbi. And with this thought in his mind he approaches Jesus. "I will follow you wherever you go." This man thought about the opportunity of seeing new places and he was open to that. Jesus knows he probably hasn't really thought about what that might entail. This was not a tour that would take them from Holiday Inns to Ramadas. It was not even at the camping level. It was sleeping under trees and under the stars. So, the Master says to him, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." And there was another man there who received Jesus' invitation, "Follow me." The man said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Some scholars have interpreted this as being a cultural reference meaning he wanted to spend the last years of his father's life with that father and then he would come and follow Jesus. Jesus' response, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." And yet another person there said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family." To which Jesus replies, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
When I went to seminary in the mid-70s, my dormitory and several others were filled with 20-somethings, and the average age of persons entering professional ministry was 25. When our youngest wanted to visit SMU, I was shocked, but not surprised, that my former seminary dorm was now a self-contained freshman dorm, meaning all classes, meals, etc. was done within the confines of that dorm. I don't know if that continued but it drove home the reality that at that ime, the average age of persons entering professional ministry was 58. "Many are called; few are chosen," so said our Lord in Matthew 22:14, meaning that many receive a call at a point in their life when they are not yet ready. The reasons could be many; financial, familial, emotional, and spiritual, so they delay their entrance into seminary and into professional ministry. I thank God for all who serve God in whatever way they feel that God is leading, but the Lord says to these men who approached him that once in ministry, full attention and concentration must given to Kingdom work or their work will be in vain. And this holds true for those not in fulltime profesisonal ministry, but who serve the Lord in various capacities. The work is so urgent and needed, that we must give it our all as soon as we can.
PRAYER: Loving Father, bless our work by giving us the passion and energy we need to make disciples for You in any and all ways that we can. Grant us what we need to win more souls for You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Show joy in sharing faith.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
