Romancing The Rock

‘Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”’ [Luke 9:62 NIV]

One of the things I love about Jesus’ teachings is that He never gave out any wishy-washy challenges. He told it how it is — called a spade a spade, if you know what I mean.

Sometimes, when I read the things He said, I feel a bit uncomfortable. The way He spoke to the Pharisees, I am glad I wasn’t one of them! It’s like I wouldn’t want to be at the receiving end of one of those statements He made, because sometimes, they sound just a little harsh.

Like the statement above, for example. The young man had just offered to follow Jesus, but asked if he may go home and say goodbye to his family first. Doesn’t part of you just say, ‘but what’s wrong with saying goodbye to family?’ Perhaps Jesus saw something in him which we don’t gain from reading the Scriptures. Perhaps He knew if the young man went home, he would change his mind.

So then, the challenge here is that once you make your decisions, you have to follow through, no matter how hard it looks, or what you have to give up in the process. And Jesus had every right to speak those words, because He lived them out. A few verses back in Luke 9, it says Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He knew what was ahead of Him — suffering, rejection, death. But, He never looked back.

Are you willing to make your journey all or nothing today?