The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 9:57-62, “And as they were going along the road, someone said to Him, ‘I will follow You wherever You go.’
58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Permit me first to go and bury my father.”
60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

“Wow! Would I ever like to be involved in that!” Many of us have said that, or something like it, when we encountered what we viewed as an exciting adventure. The list of such adventures is endless. Our problem, however, was that we were not prepared to undertake that venture; we simply observed the pleasurable side of it.

In our verses above, Jesus encountered three people that were caught up in the delightful side of His ministry, but failed to note the rigorous training and difficult encounters along the way. The first was an unsolicited volunteer. He had no reservations at all; he just said, “I will follow You wherever You go.” It’s good to be willing to follow Jesus, but it’s vitally necessary to understand the hardships a follower of His will encounter. Jesus warned that they would often be without the normal comforts of life.

The second person was actually selected by Jesus to go with Him. “Follow Me,” Jesus said. Yet, this man had a reservation. He first wanted to attend to an important matter at home. He had both a legal and moral responsibility to care for the needs of his father. It may even be that his father was still living, but he was putting concerns for his father ahead of following Jesus. Jesus empahsized the priority of His ministry. Let the spiritually dead handle funeral arrangements, Jesus said. You tell people everywhere about the Kingdom of God.

The third man was an unsolicited volunteer. His willingness to follow Jesus seemed most sincere, yet it was linked with a simple reservation: he wanted first to bid goodbye to his family. It appears a most loving gesture, one that anyone might wish prior to leaving home. But, Jesus emphasized dedication to Himself and His ministry when he said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit (useful) for the kingdom of God.” In the simplest sense, plowing requires looking ahead. Looking behind means not plowing a straight furrow.

Where do you and I find ourselves today when it comes to following Jesus? Is there anything in our lives that takes priority over Him and His work? If there is, we must rid ourselves of it before we can be of usefulness to Him. Jesus is always and ever to be first in our lives. May He help us to make it so!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom