Luke 9:51-62. Tough decisions at the crossroads 27/6/10
(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} and they 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 holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." {59} He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man 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 good-by to my family." {62} Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Now we often hear of, or ourselves experience, what we call the ‘cross-roads in life.’ Those times when we come to an intersecting of paths, which require an important decision to be made. The decision made at these times can and often do have far reaching consequences, and are not made lightly.
At the same time, we are constantly facing lesser crossroads in our lives; which there too we are required to make decisions which affect the future in greater or lesser degrees. Here a travelling example has a close parallel with our text this morning.
Now since being here we have made a trip north by car. Now when we get to Gawler a decision has to be made if we are going to Queensland, whether we go via Broken Hill or continue east through Mildura and Dubbo. Now if I need to get to Queensland quickly and achieve what I have set out to do; I would go the direct route through Broken Hill. But to go that track means that rest stops and comfortable motels etc are not plentiful. Also, if I do not pay attention and take a wrong turn I could easily finish up hundreds of kilometres off track. But it would otherwise be the best and shortest route.
However, mostly we will go the other way, as it is far more scenic and comfortable. Also going that way means we could stop off at the In-laws place and perhaps even stay a day or two. Over-all it is a more scenic and pleasurable drive.
The decision made back at the cross-roads has far-reaching consequences. There it will be what is important at the end of the road that will determine which road will be taken.
Here in this reading we have a cross-road situation in Jesus’ life and in the lives of a number of people around him: either his followers or would-be followers. This also then is his word to us as we face our crossroads as well. Here tough decisions are to be made, and Jesus lays it on the line and makes those decisions even tougher. He calls for the need to follow the hard road, and not simply follow the easy options in life. The goal very much determines the route taken. And maybe here we can see that the route that we take in our lives tells us something of what we see as important.
It his here that Jesus himself sets the course: we read; As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. From here on, Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem. There he has a task to fulfil: There he has the centre of what he came here on this earth to do. This event was not going to be a Sunday picnic. It was not something that could be taken or left. It was not some great and glorious event as we might look for as human beings.
No Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem, knowing full well that there he would be rejected by men, and strung up on a cross to die. But even more importantly that there he would take on himself all of our sin, all of our rebellion against God, and there be punished for it all. There on the cross he is totally forsaken by his Father because of our sin, so that we in turn might be forgiven. It is for that purpose he now resolutely sets out for Jerusalem.
There we have then a focal point for us as we go through life. There we too find the goal that is important in our life. If Jesus death on the cross is central to our existence and future, there also in Jesus and his cross we must look as we make our decisions at our crossroads. There we must resolutely set our face, so that we do not lose our way. It is here that Jesus has some important things for us to think about as we stand at the cross-road.
As Jesus and his disciple set out on the road to Jerusalem they encounter an incident of ‘road-rage.’ Along the way, there were those who did not want to receive him because he did not fit in with their idea of what the Messiah should be and do for them. Because he was going to Jerusalem, they were not going to have a bar of him. They were obviously far from friendly; As James and John, in turn, seek to do an Elijah: ‘Shall we call down fire from heaven to wipe them out.’ In their indignation, they seek to fire back at the Samaritans; but Jesus in turn rebukes them, and continues on. He encourages them to remember that he has come to seek and save the lost; not first and foremost to destroy them.
But as they go along, a man comes to his cross-road in life. He approaches Jesus and says that ‘he will follow Jesus wherever he goes.’ Poor guy he does not know what he is saying. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Like the road trip through outback Australia, there are not too many comfort stops along the way. As you travel through many parts of this country, if there is need for a comfort stop, there is only the choice of which bush or shrub you can find; if there is one. Also in many parts, there is no comfy motel room with all the mod-cons. It can all be very basic.
Here Jesus says to the man, and you and me as we seek to follow him; the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. This journey with him is not going to be a comfortable ride, with all the ease and comforts we desire. No, Jesus tells us elsewhere that it will mean taking up our crosses and following him. And all those who take Jesus and his Word seriously can verify to the fact that the Christian life is not an easy one. But at the same time because our salvation is founded in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross alone, it is there alone that we must look and cling. Nowhere else; even is it may not always be comfortable. Anyone who says otherwise is leading you up a garden path.
Now if you think Jesus is being a little harsh here, take note of what he says to the next man that he calls to follow him. Here there is a real tough decision to be made. We read: Jesus said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
In many ways, we could liken this to our journey down the road, and one of our aged parents suddenly takes very ill and dies. So we know that we must turn around and go back home and give up on what we are going ahead to do. Here Jesus is saying keep driving ahead.
What a tough call Jesus lays on this man, and you and me. I mean, not even allowing him to go and bury his father. How rough is that? In the Old Testament times ‘the duty of a burial took precedence over study of the law, temple service, killing a Passover sacrifice, observance of circumcision, and reading of the Megillah.’ So Jesus call here seems very harsh.
Even if we are to take the view that this man was simply wanting to delay taking up the invitation to follow Jesus, until his father dies at some time in the future. The call of Jesus is still the same; Let the dead bury their own dead.
Here Christ’s agenda is not set by those who do not believe. Here there is to be no delays in taking up God’s call to follow. Now is the appointed time. Now is the day of salvation. Any delay may mean missing out altogether. Take the easy road now, could mean that you have taken the freeway to Hell, where there is no opportunity to get off the broad and easy way.
But then still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Here again Jesus says that the direction is set, and nothing must distract us from the road ahead. Now often when I am driving through the country-side, Julie cuts rusty at me; and rightly so; for when I drive, I too often like to look at what the farmers are doing along the way. What happens when you do that: as you look around, inevitably you begin to veer off the straight path ahead. Then danger is surely not far away.
Here Jesus is suggesting that the same principle applies to that area which has to do with our eternal salvation. Here in Jesus illustration, it is not the family as such that is the concern: But letting the family or anything else from distracting us so that we detour off the path that is set before us. Nothing is to be allowed to distract us from keeping our focus on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, which ensures our salvation and eternal life.
What a tough, but important call, Jesus lays before us as we go through life. As we make all our various decisions at these cross-roads, we are challenged to ensure that nothing stops or distracts us from that which is absolutely essential for our lives. It is Jesus Christ and his death on the cross alone that ensures our forgiveness and eternal life in heaven. So there yours and my goal is set; there is what surely sets our thinking and our direction. So as we journey on, let us not be stopped or distracted from this.
So as you travel on look to Jesus Christ alone and his cross; set your face on him and him alone. Through that, rest assured that the Lord goes with you and your blessing is assured, and most importantly glory will go to him whom it belongs; our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and always. Amen.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
(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} and they 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 holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." {59} He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man 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 good-by to my family." {62} Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Now we often hear of, or ourselves experience, what we call the ‘cross-roads in life.’ Those times when we come to an intersecting of paths, which require an important decision to be made. The decision made at these times can and often do have far reaching consequences, and are not made lightly.
At the same time, we are constantly facing lesser crossroads in our lives; which there too we are required to make decisions which affect the future in greater or lesser degrees. Here a travelling example has a close parallel with our text this morning.
Now since being here we have made a trip north by car. Now when we get to Gawler a decision has to be made if we are going to Queensland, whether we go via Broken Hill or continue east through Mildura and Dubbo. Now if I need to get to Queensland quickly and achieve what I have set out to do; I would go the direct route through Broken Hill. But to go that track means that rest stops and comfortable motels etc are not plentiful. Also, if I do not pay attention and take a wrong turn I could easily finish up hundreds of kilometres off track. But it would otherwise be the best and shortest route.
However, mostly we will go the other way, as it is far more scenic and comfortable. Also going that way means we could stop off at the In-laws place and perhaps even stay a day or two. Over-all it is a more scenic and pleasurable drive.
The decision made back at the cross-roads has far-reaching consequences. There it will be what is important at the end of the road that will determine which road will be taken.
Here in this reading we have a cross-road situation in Jesus’ life and in the lives of a number of people around him: either his followers or would-be followers. This also then is his word to us as we face our crossroads as well. Here tough decisions are to be made, and Jesus lays it on the line and makes those decisions even tougher. He calls for the need to follow the hard road, and not simply follow the easy options in life. The goal very much determines the route taken. And maybe here we can see that the route that we take in our lives tells us something of what we see as important.
It his here that Jesus himself sets the course: we read; As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. From here on, Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem. There he has a task to fulfil: There he has the centre of what he came here on this earth to do. This event was not going to be a Sunday picnic. It was not something that could be taken or left. It was not some great and glorious event as we might look for as human beings.
No Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem, knowing full well that there he would be rejected by men, and strung up on a cross to die. But even more importantly that there he would take on himself all of our sin, all of our rebellion against God, and there be punished for it all. There on the cross he is totally forsaken by his Father because of our sin, so that we in turn might be forgiven. It is for that purpose he now resolutely sets out for Jerusalem.
There we have then a focal point for us as we go through life. There we too find the goal that is important in our life. If Jesus death on the cross is central to our existence and future, there also in Jesus and his cross we must look as we make our decisions at our crossroads. There we must resolutely set our face, so that we do not lose our way. It is here that Jesus has some important things for us to think about as we stand at the cross-road.
As Jesus and his disciple set out on the road to Jerusalem they encounter an incident of ‘road-rage.’ Along the way, there were those who did not want to receive him because he did not fit in with their idea of what the Messiah should be and do for them. Because he was going to Jerusalem, they were not going to have a bar of him. They were obviously far from friendly; As James and John, in turn, seek to do an Elijah: ‘Shall we call down fire from heaven to wipe them out.’ In their indignation, they seek to fire back at the Samaritans; but Jesus in turn rebukes them, and continues on. He encourages them to remember that he has come to seek and save the lost; not first and foremost to destroy them.
But as they go along, a man comes to his cross-road in life. He approaches Jesus and says that ‘he will follow Jesus wherever he goes.’ Poor guy he does not know what he is saying. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Like the road trip through outback Australia, there are not too many comfort stops along the way. As you travel through many parts of this country, if there is need for a comfort stop, there is only the choice of which bush or shrub you can find; if there is one. Also in many parts, there is no comfy motel room with all the mod-cons. It can all be very basic.
Here Jesus says to the man, and you and me as we seek to follow him; the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. This journey with him is not going to be a comfortable ride, with all the ease and comforts we desire. No, Jesus tells us elsewhere that it will mean taking up our crosses and following him. And all those who take Jesus and his Word seriously can verify to the fact that the Christian life is not an easy one. But at the same time because our salvation is founded in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross alone, it is there alone that we must look and cling. Nowhere else; even is it may not always be comfortable. Anyone who says otherwise is leading you up a garden path.
Now if you think Jesus is being a little harsh here, take note of what he says to the next man that he calls to follow him. Here there is a real tough decision to be made. We read: Jesus said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
In many ways, we could liken this to our journey down the road, and one of our aged parents suddenly takes very ill and dies. So we know that we must turn around and go back home and give up on what we are going ahead to do. Here Jesus is saying keep driving ahead.
What a tough call Jesus lays on this man, and you and me. I mean, not even allowing him to go and bury his father. How rough is that? In the Old Testament times ‘the duty of a burial took precedence over study of the law, temple service, killing a Passover sacrifice, observance of circumcision, and reading of the Megillah.’ So Jesus call here seems very harsh.
Even if we are to take the view that this man was simply wanting to delay taking up the invitation to follow Jesus, until his father dies at some time in the future. The call of Jesus is still the same; Let the dead bury their own dead.
Here Christ’s agenda is not set by those who do not believe. Here there is to be no delays in taking up God’s call to follow. Now is the appointed time. Now is the day of salvation. Any delay may mean missing out altogether. Take the easy road now, could mean that you have taken the freeway to Hell, where there is no opportunity to get off the broad and easy way.
But then still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Here again Jesus says that the direction is set, and nothing must distract us from the road ahead. Now often when I am driving through the country-side, Julie cuts rusty at me; and rightly so; for when I drive, I too often like to look at what the farmers are doing along the way. What happens when you do that: as you look around, inevitably you begin to veer off the straight path ahead. Then danger is surely not far away.
Here Jesus is suggesting that the same principle applies to that area which has to do with our eternal salvation. Here in Jesus illustration, it is not the family as such that is the concern: But letting the family or anything else from distracting us so that we detour off the path that is set before us. Nothing is to be allowed to distract us from keeping our focus on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, which ensures our salvation and eternal life.
What a tough, but important call, Jesus lays before us as we go through life. As we make all our various decisions at these cross-roads, we are challenged to ensure that nothing stops or distracts us from that which is absolutely essential for our lives. It is Jesus Christ and his death on the cross alone that ensures our forgiveness and eternal life in heaven. So there yours and my goal is set; there is what surely sets our thinking and our direction. So as we journey on, let us not be stopped or distracted from this.
So as you travel on look to Jesus Christ alone and his cross; set your face on him and him alone. Through that, rest assured that the Lord goes with you and your blessing is assured, and most importantly glory will go to him whom it belongs; our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and always. Amen.
Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish
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