Luke 9: 57-62 -- “The Failure of Three Would be Followers” -- 6/30/2019
Rev. Jerry W. Krueger Boardman United Methodist Church
“I have a great idea; let’s pool our money and start a restaurant. How cool would that be?” Or, “I know this guy and he’ll tattoo us cheap.” Or, “Let’s enlist right now. It’ll be fun.” Or, “it’ll be a great prank, what could go wrong?”
Levels of commitment abound, like the chicken that provides eggs for breakfast, or the pig that provides the bacon. We discover who is committed, who has second thoughts, and sometimes we get caught up in the heat of the moment.
- text is about wholehearted, all in, sold out followers of Jesus Christ. And people of God, being a follower of Christ comes with a cost.
Jesus sent messengers to Samaria, informing the non-Jewish Samaritans, the Messiah approaches. The Samaritans want no part of Jesus, refusing to greet him because he was going to Jerusalem, an unwelcome place for Samaritans.
As Jesus walks his final road trip with others to Jerusalem, we hear this first traveler proudly say to the Messiah, “I will follow you wherever you go." "Jesus replies, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
This would be follower knows Jesus travels to Jerusalem, when Jesus challenges, “are you truly willing to follow me if this ends in my death and maybe the same fate for you?” Jesus proclaims his followers must accept what some would call a deviant lifestyle from the norm. Foxes and birds have nests, dens, a place to call their own, but not the Son of Man.
The instability of rootedness to one spot is addressed. So, if you follow Jesus, you too will not have a permanent home to lay your head. Because our home is with Christ, not here on earth.
If you promise to truly follow Jesus, are you willing to have your faith life uproot you, take you into an unexpected direction? Our faith life is not a cheap attachment to our lives. Jesus promises following him is costly, which causes the would-be follower to examine how committed he/she is, and ask, “do they truly want to be a committed follower of Christ with its cost?”
Jesus initiates a second exchange speaking to a nearby trekker. "Follow me." Upon invitation, the person hesitates because he has another obligation -- "Lord, first let me go and bury my father" -- to which Jesus replies, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go, and proclaim the kingdom of God". The would-be follower has requested to “delay a bit, go take care of family business, specifically burying his father.”
Recall that Jewish family duty to bury the dead is binding. Is the father actually dead? Perhaps this is a son who is to care for aging parents. Yet Jesus responds in a harsh, direct manner affirming even high importance tasks to bury and care for biological family are rejected with a cost.
Jesus means, priority of service to the kingdom is set above every other priority. This could be said to mean, “let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead.”
This means, those who have NOT responded to the call to discipleship are like the dead. Let the dead bury the dead. But those who HAVE responded to the call to discipleship are not dead. Their concern should be with the living and with life.
The third example points to the two prior exchanges. The third would- be follower says, “Sure, Jesus, I will follow you. But before I do, I need to run home to say goodbye to family.” The last sojourner, like the first, freely offers to follow Jesus, but with a qualification -- "Let me first say farewell to those at my home" -- to which Jesus responds, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back, is fit for the kingdom of God" . No one! Abandon the old life.
Both of Jesus’ calls to “follow me,” and the travelers responses mirror 1 Kings 19: 10-21, which records Elisha’s response to Elisha. Jesus does not let the would-be disciple turn back, even for a moment.
Look back as you plow, you plow a crooked furrow. Your vision must be looking forward. And for many people, who are Almost Christian’s, as John Wesley called them, these “Would be followers of Jesus,” claim that faith in Christ and following him should be easy, advantageous, a casual commitment, and opportune for them. But that’s not what Jesus says.
In each case, the three individuals are ill-prepared to follow. They were supporters, not adherents. Members of Jesus' cohort, but not disciples.
While still some distance from Jerusalem, they’re willing to tag along. But when Jesus makes it clear that Jerusalem is on the horizon, they are unable to commit wholeheartedly.
This text should confront us. It’s much simpler to be a would-be follower of Christ, than an actual follower. The cost is high. Our honesty, integrity, relationships, activities, stewardship, habits, interactions, thoughts, and opinions can all be called into question for Christ.
In the hymn, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” the refrain is, “No turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me, still I will follow.”
This hymn and this text from Luke, are about commitment.
- How committed are you to Christ?
- How committed are you to being invitational to others who do not have a church home, or do not know Jesus?
- How committed are you to making worship, study, prayer, financial support, battling injustice or oppression, volunteering, as a part of your faith life in Christ?
The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few.
Jesus didn’t soften His words, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back, is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Receiving this scripture can challenge you to reflect and look deeply at yourself, examining how committed you are to Jesus, and to serving the Kingdom of God? Jesus warns us, do not rush into discipleship with glib promises.
The radical demands of discipleship require that every potential disciple consider the cost, giving Jesus the highest priority in your life, and, having committed yourself to discipleship, move ahead without looking back. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
