"Fit for Service in the Kingdom"

Luke 9:51–62

Jesus is aware of a transition in his mission. As 'God’s Anointed'Son, he had gathered a ‘new twelve’ around himself. He was preaching the kingdom and his disciples had now recognized his ‘Messianic identity’. Now Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem where he would fulfill God's purpose.  Here Jesus sends messengers into a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival, but these Samaritans refused to welcome Jesus since he was heading to Jerusalem. A Messiah who would set up his kingdom in Jerusalem was not what the Samaritans were interested in (John 4:19).

James and John see this and want to call down the vengeance of God upon them and make them pay. The want to put themselves in the place of Elijah (2 Kings 1:19-12), when God was opposes an Apostate king in Samaria. Contrary to this, Jesus had come to reconcile them to God and one another (Acts 1:8). On their previous mission through Israel when a town rejected them they were to ‘shake the dust from their feet’ and move on. So Jesus rebukes them and simply moved on to another village (Luke 9:5, 52-56).  

As they walked along the road, Jesus encounters a man who claims to be willing to follow Jesus anywhere. The man says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus has ‘no abiding home’ in this world and was on his way to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Jesus tells the man, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  Jesus tells another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus tells him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (9:57-60).  This man wants to wait until his father dies and is buried before following Jesus. Jesus has what comes across as a ‘rather harsh’ response for him. But commitment to Jesus must surpass all cultural and familial commitments.  For Jesus the time to proclaim the kingdom is now! If the kingdom has come and the king is here then ‘Lord wait’ is an inconsistent and unacceptable statement.

Still another man said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” This man tells Jesus that he wants to follow Jesus., “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (9:60-62). This is reminiscent of Elisha’s call to follow Elijah. Elisha went back and said goodbye to his family. However, it was not a prerequisite to his following Elijah. Moreover, Elisha slaughtered his oxen, burned his plowing equipment, cooked the meat and gave it to the people. He accepted the call and he went and said ‘goodbye’ and never looked back.  He said goodbye to his family and then went and followed Elijah, but he also forsook all. You cannot plow a straight furrow in a field if one is looking back. This man needs continue to follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem and not turn back and do something else.

The disciples had fought over who was the greatest and had even tried to stop a man freeing the demonized in Jesus’ name. They have recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity, but their ambition was hindering their usefulness in God’s kingdom. Now Jesus moves out towards Jerusalem, but this is no mere trip in remembrance of Israel's ‘Exodus. Jesus must go to Jerusalem in order to ‘fulfill’ a ‘new exodus’ that will culminate in his ascension into heaven (9:31, 51).

As they start out, Jesus went directly to Jerusalem through Samaria and sent out messengers ahead (9:52) into a Samaritan village to make preparations. Jesus disregarded the quarrel between the Jews and the Samaritans (John 4:9), and extended his hand of friendship.Yet, because Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem they refused to welcome him (9:53). James and John want to call down the judgment of God upon them (See 2 Kings 1:10–12). But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then Jesus addresses those who claim to want to follow him. Jesus addresses a man who claims he will follow Jesus wherever Jesus goes (9:57). But, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and a ‘Roman cross’ and exhorts the man to consider the cost of following him.  Another man, who calls Jesus ‘Lord’ wants to first go and bury his father (9:59) and the other wants to first say goodbye to his family (9:61–62; compare 1 Kings 19:19–21). Yet, for Jesus, to follow him cannot be secondary to any cultural or familial obligation. Jesus’ reply indicates that nothing can be of a higher priority than following Jesus. Jesus calls us to a single-minded and unwavering devotion to his Lordship. No racial distinction or cultural or familial obligation can supersede service to King Jesus. This is what it means to be 'fit for service' in the Kingdom of God, both back then and today.