"Time for a Decision" - a sermon on Luke 16:19-31

I want to hear your response to this passage, so please think about the following questions: How do you react to this text? What is it saying to you? Have you noticed that, for my sermons, I’ve picked out some of the tougher readings from Luke as Jesus heads for the cross! First, I’ll give you my reaction. This passage for me is about decision-making. It is about being clear-minded regarding what is important and about being grounded in God. It is about knowing who God is, and then living in sympathy with this. It is about considering the needs of others as the appropriate response to hearing the Word of God. It is about the influence we can have for good. In a nut-shell, it is about timely and firm decisions about what our life will amount to. For we see in this text a spectacular example of failure. It is often the lure of material things, or a primary focus on the protection of our personal financial situation, that compromises our decision-making and thus our spiritual growth. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus, in response to the Pharisees being lovers of money, had said to them, “...what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:14-15). Jesus now tells a story to illustrate – with two very contrasting characters: one extremely wealthy, the other destitute. We should note too, that to its original hearers, who would have seen wealth as God’s blessing, and poverty and illness as God’s punishment on sin – the suggested reversal of fortune in this parable would have come as a shock. Firstly there was a “rich man” who had everything he could possible want in a material sense; and he showed it off in public every day. He had more food than he could possibly need or eat. Then, outside the gate of his property was another man – a poor man named “Lazarus”. It is not clear whether Jesus was suggesting any connection with the Lazarus mentioned in John’s Gospel who Jesus raised from the dead, yet the last verse of our reading may indicate some connection. The more important factors about this name though are that: (a) this character was given a name when the “rich man” remained nameless; and (b) what that name Lazarus means. We’ll come back to these matters. “Lazarus” was in a pitiful state – covered with painful sores (probably ulcers), malnourished and starving hungry; and given that he “lay” at the “gate” suggests he was either physically disabled or extremely weak. Lazarus was hoping for gifts of food to come from the palatial home within the grounds, and probably was also begging from passers-by. So we are given a graphic and dramatic picture of one man arrogantly feasting, while another just outside his front gate starved to death. There must have been food scraps at the very least, but these were not offered to people like Lazarus. The “rich man” could so easily help, but does not! This “rich man” shows no concern or sensitivity or consideration towards poor Lazarus at all! He should of course have known better. He only had to recall Deuteronomy 15:7{-8}, “If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of the towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbour. {You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be}”. There are so many other texts like this – this priority is unmissable. Jesus is not only addressing very personal one-on-one issues, but making prophetic observations on the state of the world ... to those who could do something about it but chose not to. We should pause to think about the implications of ‘richer’ nations holding out on ‘poorer’ nations. This would also bear relevance to how nations address the real everyday needs of its more vulnerable citizens. [On this we can view the film “Dave”, a scene which shows that you can review priorities if you have the will, and that others can be drawn into such a process.] The name “Lazarus” means ‘God helps’. Just as well ‘God helps’ in the case of Lazarus ... where humans haven’t! This naming is truly significant, for it is the only time a character is named in one of Jesus’ parables. God looks upon this scene with compassion and draws Lazarus into His care. The one who society has failed is taken up by the angels and brought to Abraham (the father of the Jewish nation) in heaven. The listeners to this story customarily believed that gaining a place of intimacy at Abraham’s bosom was the greatest honour imaginable (hence the song “Rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham”). God well knows who society has failed, and who was the cause of this! It was a decree of creation that we looked after the earth, each other and all its inhabitants. Who was it that said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (sic) do nothing”? That saying is attributed to Edmund Burke. We all have our ‘pet’ issues, and our crosses to bear, and we should say something and do something, if for no other reason than stopping frustration building in us. But do we consciously consider and understand that our sins of omission can be just as bad as our actual committed sins. These are those things that we haven’t done that we know we should do ... or should know that we should do. For we have the clear witness of Scripture. I fear that many who say they believe in the words of the Bible, actually believe in what they would prefer to be the words of the Bible. It is not surprising that, given his condition, the “poor man” died. God receives Lazarus into His company. But what of the nameless “rich man”? One day he died and his body was buried and his spirit was being tormented. The situations had been reversed. God had the final say. The last shall be first, and the first shall be last. The rich man’s name was deemed irrelevant – forgotten forever. His wealth had evaporated with his last earthly breath. Some hearers would have expected a better outcome for this man simply because of his wealth, power and position, but not so. In reality, the heaping up of wealth to the detriment of the poor has turned out to be a terrible miscalculation, even as a cause for eternal torment (Hays). Wealth, rather than being a blessing, often is a curse because of what it does to a person and where it leaves their soul. The pursuit of wealth fosters a God ignoring self-sufficiency. If we’re doing well materially, is that more likely to be a blessing or a curse, or (picking up last week’s theme) more likely to be “darkness” or “light” to us. It turns out that God’s Kingdom is “too small” for the rich and callous, but when it comes to the poor and humble ... there’s plenty of room. Some hearers would not have expected such a good outcome for Lazarus, for surely he must have deserved his earthly suffering – but again ... not so! Now of course this is a parable and as such can’t be taken literally in every aspect, and we can’t build any sort of afterlife theology on this; especially as we see this strange communication happening between the two places. It’s purely a story of contrast, a literary device, to make a very clear point; and the point is this: we have to make the right decisions on earth here and now, for they will have eternal consequences! This is not just a matter of believing in Jesus and receiving salvation, but also about how we apply that salvation in our daily lives. We can never think that we can ever accept Jesus and then go on living unchanged ... it doesn’t work that way. Making the decision to accept and follow Jesus involves being sincerely and seriously committed to God’s ways. We have here (from verse 23) an afterlife scene, where the now deceased “rich man” looks with envy from “Hades” toward Lazarus who is obviously in a much better and cooler place in the company of Father Abraham (who is somewhat representative of God). It’s interesting that the now deceased “rich man” is referred to as “child”, which suggests there is still a level of compassion and creational connection with this man by God. Yet his arrogant and unsympathetic attitude on earth has become a huge barrier ... too big a barrier in fact! And nothing much has changed as this man still expects Lazarus to come and serve him (with that little drop of water), even though he never lifted a finger to help Lazarus when he had ample opportunity and resources to do so. He expects mercy when he had offered none himself! “I am in agony” ... wasn’t Lazarus in agony!! If only this “rich man” had extended this level of compassionate hospitality to the poor man at his gate. This “rich man” calls upon his religious heritage by calling Abraham “Father Abraham”, but due to his earthly inaction, this claim is a sham. Verse 26 reinforces that it is our decisions on earth that determine our destiny. The distance that the “rich man” had kept away from the needs of others on earth has become a distance that he cannot cross. It is time for all of us to make the right decisions! Fortunately we don’t have to do a four year degree or work in the mines or do any penance, because God has provided a free gift of grace ... which we only have to say “yes” to! There is a gift of mercy to accept, unwrap and begin to experience. No doubt then, when we see the face of “Lazarus” in need at our gate we will be prepared to help. As a sort of footnote in this story, this deceased “rich man” now turns his concern toward his family back in life on earth. He wants Lazarus sent back to them (like a slave) to warn them about where he himself has finished up. But again it’s too late! They have had ample opportunity in growing up in the religion of Israel to accept the teachings of the prophets but have failed to do so. No miraculous sign, not even a resurrection of a person from the dead would properly convince them if they have become so hard-hearted. The rich man’s family shouldn’t have needed a sign; they simply needed to follow what God had already revealed to them (Jon Lindsay). This was of course aimed straight at the Pharisees who had decided to absolutely reject Jesus, despite all the evidence that he is indeed the Son of God. Their wrong decision had become so permanent it could only be reactively defended. The sad fact is – Jesus’ own resurrection would not even help to convince them. This is sad and tragic for them, and there are no doubt many that are this lost today. But there are many, many others that might just be open to changing their minds (and increasing their sensitivity to God’s voice). Sometimes people are looking for a ‘sign’ or a remarkable turn of events to convince them to have faith, but we have already been given ample reason to embrace faith. Better to embrace faith now, and then become enlightened as we journey forward. We should reflect on John 6:66-69: Because of this many of [Jesus’] disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” We are left with the deceased formerly “rich man” in torment who still didn’t get it. His only concern was for himself and then his immediate family, but never for the poor sick man that had been at his gate, who would remain, as far as he was concerned, a slave to his circumstances. Through this that formerly rich now poor man made himself a ‘slave’ for eternity. How do you react to this text? What is it saying to you?

"An Outspoken Dinner Guest" - a sermon on Luke 11:33-54

In our church newsletter today, listed under point 4 (and at the tail end of this message), there are some questions that help us take stock or do a little detective work into our lives. Please keep these before you as we study this passage from Luke. Jesus provided this teaching on his journey to the cross.

1. Light or darkness (v.33-36)

Jesus said that we should live in the light – which is not just about what we do (or don’t do), but also about who we are. Our whole body should be full of light and thereby light the path before us. This will allow us to take the right directions – because we see so well what is before us, and we are able to easily discern whether it is right or wrong for us ... whether it is part of the light or part of the darkness.

Although this text was based on the ancient belief that the eye allowed the light within the body to be projected out of it, it’s still a good image for us to consider. It is the light that comes into us through accepting and following Jesus, dwelling in us day by day, that is then seen in the glint in our eyes, and lights the path for others.

When we do actually enter a place of darkness for the sake of others, somewhere unknown and fearful, to try to save someone from their peril – we take with us a radiant light that will be noticed (and sometimes even be appreciated). Jesus knew that he was entering the darkness when he accepted an invitation to a Pharisee’s home for dinner, for the Pharisees had already made up their mind to eliminate Jesus.

Yet this would be a way of demonstrating how far some of these community leaders had drifted from God and what God stood for; thus bringing some radiant light to bear on that situation. Back to this in a moment ...

... but first, verse 35 is very interesting and challenging ... it fascinates me actually ... “Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness”; meaning: is it possible that what you think is “light” might actually not be “light” at all? You might have always thought that this particular behaviour pattern was okay – but now you more deeply consider it, you are not so sure! Sometimes, for instance, our sense of humour that is so amusing to us – can be quite hurtful to certain others.

This verse [35] suggests that “darkness” can sometimes pose as “light”, or sometimes “darkness” can fool us that it is “light”. We can think things we say or do are quite okay, because they are culturally fairly normal, and we’ve always done them and they haven’t caused us any problem (or so we think).

We can in effect fool ourselves that we are better than we are perhaps! I guess the best example of this would be – when we think we have got our thoughts and motivations under God’s control, and then something comes out of our mouth that takes us by surprise.

But this could also have something to do with us knowing what the truth is, or what the right course of action is, but not adhering to this. This, in a way, allows “darkness” to quell the “light” ... as if the “light” does not exist. This quelling or covering of the “light” is viewed in the Bible as worse than never having had the light at all! How so many people would have appreciated sensing the light ... whilst others having already sensed it, covered it up!!

And further, this could also have something to do with the quality of our discernment concerning matters external to us, how we react to outside stimuli, what decisions we make under pressure, and what attitudes we show to certain events. For example, taking the advice of a certain person because it seems okay or right to do so, but it actually turns out that this was precisely the wrong guidance (even if it did come from reasonable intent). We need the quality of discernment that makes such mistakes less and less possible. This is why it is so important to focus on Jesus first, and let all our decision-making spring out of that relationship.

2. The Unfortunate Invitation

Sometimes we regret having invited a certain person around to our home for a meal, because they just talked too much, and what they said was so revolting. We just want the evening to be over and for that rude person to go home. The Pharisee probably lived to regret this invitation to Jesus – they had sought to trap Jesus, to compromise Jesus, to reduce Jesus’ influence, but they failed miserably.

Jesus was certainly an outspoken dinner guest, providing a fair bit of consternation for the host; however in this case, Jesus rightly calls certain of those present to account for their actions – and the truth of what Jesus says cannot be denied. Jesus was not really the dinner guest from hell, but rather was the true visitor from heaven.

3. What were Jesus’ concerns canvassed over dinner?

(a) The priority given to outward signs of religiosity – religious hypocrisy – the Pharisees (v.37-44)

The Jew was required (as a cultural norm) to wash before a meal ... not so much for hygiene, but more for ceremonial purity, in that one’s hands would have been defiled by contact with sinfulness. The quantity of water and the manner it was administered was prescribed in minute detail (Morris). Jesus neglecting to do this caused a bit of a stir, and allowed him to address a very important issue.

Jesus ignored this ‘washing’ ritual to challenge all such rituals that were given too much importance relative to more pressing issues. This ‘washing’ (representative of other strict rules) was being given such an importance, while at the same time such Pharisees lacked any concern for right living and economic justice within their community.

The legalistic Pharisees loved regulations far more than they exhibited mercy and generosity to their people. Thus these rituals had become “darkness” not “light”. God is about breaking barriers down, not building them up. God is seeking to include, not exclude. The Pharisees were big on the outward show of respectability, but this was not matched by any internal feeling of compassion. Sometimes an allegiance to rules and authority (on the outside) can seek to cover up internal decay. God looks upon the heart as the springboard of our life’s activities.

As an example of where rules can predominate our thinking we could look at a clip from “You’ve got mail”, where the woman played by Meg Ryan tries to pay for her groceries by credit-card in the “cash-only” lane.

Back to the text at verse 41 – this is a very important verse. The NLT translation nails this verse well: “So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over”. Giving to the poor is not just about casual charitable acts, but also about the mindset of human solidarity in the face of inequity.

As this verse 41 points out, it is our heartfelt willingness to give generously (in the face of need) that cleanses everything else we hang on to. Or as D.L Bock puts it, “... generosity makes for spiritual cleanliness”.

But the Pharisees stood condemned and remained ‘unclean’ for allowing unnecessary trivial distractions to make them feel justified and religiously superior, when they were far from that. No amount of physically washing the hands will clean the inside unless our heart is generous.

A sensible and helpful cultural norm was tithing i.e. making available to God a percentage of the resources gained in life. The problem eluded to here though by Jesus (from verse 42) was that, the Pharisees made a big show of precisely calculating their ten percent tithe of such little things as various herbs – while huge matters of national justice and spiritual transformation were completely overlooked. The Pharisees were careful to be seen to tithe a proportion of the most insignificant garden herb, but were prepared to neglect matters at the very core of God’s will.

They were certainly into big-noting themselves: ‘O look at me as I tithe ten percent of my sprig of mint ... but don’t dare talk to me about issues of homelessness or hopelessness’. This was “darkness”, not “light”. The tithing itself was commendable, but the way this was applied with such miniscule detail and in such a boastful way – also blocking time and attention from what was most important – this was the problem.

Jesus doesn’t reject these traditions, so much as condemning the fact that these traditions have been observed at odds with the deepest intention of the will of God, namely, the exercise of love (Kingsbury). Whereas such Pharisees liked to be recognised, Jesus describes them (in verse 44) in totally opposite terms, as insignificant “unmarked graves” that people will unknowingly walk all over i.e. they are at the level of an anonymous, unimportant and corrupt dead person. Whack! They are in “darkness”, not “light”.

(b) The priority given to power – religious arrogance – the “lawyers” (v.45-52)

One could just imagine that the “lawyers” ... those who felt so superior in their training in the law ... would get upset at this point and come back at Jesus (this seemingly unschooled prophet). These self-proclaimed “experts in the law” were a party to bringing heavy burdens of religious observance upon the people, without lifting a finger to help them in their struggle.

They had been the authors of the multitude of complicated and strict regulations that were being imposed by the Pharisees. These are those who make and enforce laws which maintain the position of the powerful, but show no concern for how they filter down to the more vulnerable and less resourced members of the community.

Just as the true prophets of old were rejected and murdered, these “lawyers” or “scribes” are joining with their guilty ancestors before them in rejecting the latest movement of God’s Spirit (seen in their hostility to Jesus). They are forming an alliance with long dead antagonists against the will of God. Oppressing God’s people with burdens is a perverse reversal of God’s desire to reconcile with people in love. This is “darkness” not “light”, as it is typified in verse 52.

As we have it in verse 52, such “lawyers” or teachers, who should have helped the people in their understanding of God and true spirituality, instead stole away the keys to the Kingdom of God, and thereby blocked people from entering fulfilling life. They have missed the boat themselves, and now stand at the gangplank blocking other people’s way. They are a wall instead of a door (Bock). They stand condemned for their hostility towards what the Scriptures teach God is really about.

This is the problem of witnessing to our faith, when we haven’t actually focussed that faith in the right place. It can leave a very negative impression. This is where what should be “light”, in reality, is “darkness”.

4. Taking Stock

We should note, that rather than taking heed of what Jesus was saying, these Pharisees and “lawyers” wanted to shoot the messenger – instead of examining themselves, they reacted defensively and attacked Jesus. So rather than us taking the high road and condemning the religious leaders of old, we would be better served by taking an inventory of ourselves. This is where the Living Word of God addresses us!! This is where the rubber (of our bible study) hits the road!

Do we reflect “light” or carry “darkness”?
Do we lead people toward Jesus or away from Jesus?
Do we encourage others in their pursuit of God?
Do our lives make a good case for Jesus or the opposite?

Larry Richards came up with this checklist:

Do I spend more time trying to look holy, or seeking to be holy?
Do my priorities reflect God’s priorities?
Do I treasure the approval of others, or the approval of God?
Do I make living a Christian life harder for people by my expectations, or do I encourage and help them?
Do I resist the Word of God, or am I open and teachable?
Do I distort the Gospel for myself and others, by a legalistic approach to Christian faith?

Jesus doesn’t come to us as a moralist or a judge, but rather as a compassionate friend, knowing that unless our inside and outside match up, then we will never be the disciple we could be, and we will never reach our God-given potential, and ultimately we will never really be satisfied with our lives.

We need to be sincere and courageous concerning repentance, change and growth. And we need to come to terms with what is most important. The basic call of God is: to (humbly) love God and respond caringly and justly to others (Bock).

"No Looking Back" - a sermon on Luke 9:51-62

1. The Journey to the Cross

Something had to be done! Peoples’ lives were caught up in hopelessness and tragedy. They also lived under the oppression of Roman authority. These were desperate times, yet in some quarters there was a spiritual openness ... a real desire to connect with life’s real purpose. Of course God knew this, and in the fullness of time sent Jesus to earth in human form to interact with the world and reveal the true nature of God.

For centuries, right through Old Testament times, people had grappled with who God was and what God required of humanity. There were many misunderstandings about God’s nature. There were also some shining lights of understanding: like in Genesis, where it was understood that humanity was to take responsibility (under God) for the well-being of the earth and all its inhabitants and life-forms; like in Joshua, where it was understood that fulfilling and purposeful life would require courage; like in Psalm 139, where it was understood that God intimately knew each human from the moment of their conception; like in Micah, where it was understood that to fall in line with God would require us to act justly, love mercifully, and to walk humbly in life with God.

Ultimately though it would be Jesus that revealed God to us! And such was God’s commitment to bring about reconciliation with all people, that Jesus would do whatever it took to bring people face to face with God’s grace. And so, as people found themselves caught up in their own selfishness, sin and turmoil, Jesus would die for them on a cross, to open up guilt-free access to God. God would then raise the completely innocent Jesus from the dead to lead his followers into newness of life.

So it was, that at Luke chapter 9 and verse 51 (and similar stages of the other Gospel books), we read that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem”! This phrase “set his face to” means that Jesus made a firm decision with resolve and steely determination. Jesus did so because he considered that any suffering ahead was an inevitable part of God’s plan of reconciliation and salvation.

Despite this being a God thing, it was still not an easy decision for the physical human Jesus to make, for he knew what Roman punishment involved. This concern (shall we say, this fear), was still evident later in the Garden of Gethsemane; yet both there and here, Jesus commits to going forward to the cross ... without looking back. Yet resolve and courage would be needed, when such rampant rejection lay ahead! Jesus could have looked back to a quieter and safer life in the family carpentry business. Jesus could have looked sideways toward the temptation of taking up a position of power on earth (as put forward by Satan) or given in to the temptation of avoiding the cross altogether (as put forward by his own disciple Peter); yet Jesus did firmly “set his face” toward the cross at Jerusalem.

Earlier in chapter 9 (v.22), Jesus had said to his disciples, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised”. The disciples were gobsmacked at this, thinking and saying “Surely not”; yet they did not yet understand the cost of setting humankind right, and how deep the problem was imbedded. After all their own religious leaders, for their own reasons, were going to be complicit in Jesus’ death. These disciples were also not ready to hear that, being Jesus’ followers, they too may be required to face persecution and death (in the name of Jesus).

So here we are today faced with Jesus’ determination toward taking the way of the cross. A lot will happen along the way, and for us as we read what happens, we will come to know God better, and we will come to know better what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We are seven weeks from Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We can prepare well, and God will teach us something new. Some Christian people will take this period of “Lent” very seriously, giving certain things up, hopefully not just as a ritual, but also to allow more time for spiritual preparation.

Devotional material has been made available to us, through which we can deliberately focus on Jesus taking the way of the cross. On Sundays [when I’m preaching] we will also focus on some of the incidents that occur on Jesus’ journey to the cross. Let me encourage you to open your life afresh to God’s Word as we approach Easter. Look at this material individually or get together in twos and threes to pray through these biblical texts [in addition of course to (rather than replacing) what you’re already doing]. Look for instance at what you can gather from our text today:

2. The Nature of Discipleship

(a) When the disciples James and John wanted to punish the Samaritans for not welcoming Jesus (v.54-5), Jesus rebuked them, as if to say, “that is a ridiculous suggestion”! And not just ridiculous, downright harmful, and not representative of God at all. What was this all about? By sending disciples ahead of him to try to arrange some accommodation, Jesus hoped to be able to spend a little time in this Samaritan village, despite the hostility that existed between Jews and Samaritans. Whereas it was regrettable that the Samaritans there were unwilling to welcome Jesus, because of their animosity towards Jews and Jerusalem, this should not cause the type of retributive response proposed by James and John (who should have known better). For, there might well be another day when such people will be more open. And of course Jesus would continue to be a champion of reaching out beyond the existing cultural norms.

Later on, when telling a particular famous parable, Jesus was actually going to cast a certain “Samaritan” in a very “good” light (Luke 10:25-37). Luke goes on to relate an incident where ten sufferers of leprosy were healed, but only the Samaritan in the bunch returned to thank Jesus (17:11-19). We often encounter people who are closed to our message of light and hope at the time, but this has to be seen as a matter of timing which wasn’t quite right. Whereas we might move on to other places (as Jesus did here), even wiping a bit of the dust off our feet, we would not write such people off entirely and forever (like James and John seemed to want to do). Jesus “set his face to Jerusalem” to die for ‘such as these’ as well. The disciples are called to broadly share the gospel message – not to judge those who reject it!

This is a very important thing to remember in regard to the broad application of the Easter story. Jesus died for all people, and certainly for the people that are currently closed and resistant, and certainly for the people we find difficult or inconvenient, and also certainly for the people who have annoyed us or even hurt us. We can feel frustration or even resentment for people who blaspheme God or persecute Christians, yet Jesus died that even they might be reconciled to God, and who are we to interrupt this outpouring of grace!

(b) When certain people attracted to Jesus thought that it would be easy to follow Jesus, and that they could do so at their own convenience, Jesus put some significant challenges to them (v.57-62). This was not to send them away or scare them off, but rather to point out the seriousness of such a commitment, and that they needed to be fully focussed if they were going to be able to stay on the journey. It was like someone saying to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go”, while thinking that this would be easy, and without complication, without first thinking through the full consequences of such a statement.

After all, Jesus was an itinerant prophet without any particular place to call home, and thus was constantly on the move. Even foxes and birds had more settled living arrangements than Jesus did. Jesus’ task was large, and he had a history of getting his disciples to do things that were way out of their comfort zones. For instance, Jesus was asking fishermen and a former tax collector to become preachers and roving missionaries into friendless places.

Jesus actually sensed someone who had the potential and qualities of a disciple in verse 59. Jesus picked this person out of the crowd, eye-balled him, and said “Follow me”. Jesus would have hoped that this person would have left everything behind and followed like the fishermen and Levi (the tax collector) had already done, but not so. This one wanted to attend to the funeral of his father first. Whereas this might sound reasonable at first, it misses the whole urgency and importance of what Jesus was doing. Some commentators suggest that this excuse refers to wanting to see out the final years of his father’s life before becoming more free to follow Jesus, which suggests an even greater delay.

Following Jesus is never a matter of our convenience or when we’re ready, it must start now. The controversial and tough saying of Jesus, “Let the dead bury their own dead”, suggests that such a task should be left for others who are not so inclined to put their priority on proclaiming the Kingdom of God; as if to say, let the spiritual “dead” bury the physical “dead”, while the spiritually alive promote the cause of Jesus. While this doesn’t mean we neglect our natural responsibilities, it does bring certain priorities into focus.

As we read on to a third would-be-follower, we see even that saying farewell to those left behind at home meets with objections from Jesus? Was this due to the delay or the potential distraction or the possible second-guessing involved? One commentator suggests that what is meant is that this person wants to seek permission from his family before following Jesus. At any rate it seems that there is some level of reluctance to be decisive here. To be so inclined risks losing the positive and life-giving impulse of the moment. Jesus says, “Just follow me”!

There is no time to look longingly back to warm experiences in the past. Or, given how Jesus replies in verse 62, is it more about the associations and baggage of the past being allowed to limit the future. To take on the task of ploughing a field without one’s full attention being ahead on the job at hand is not going to work out well. To try to do this while taking cues from a wide variety of people will quickly go wrong – a singular focus on Jesus is required. Tough teaching, but I’m only explaining what the Scriptures have said for nearly 2000 years.

The point being made here, is that you can recite the best excuse imaginable (and these last two excuses weren’t too bad), but it still won’t cut it! Nothing is as urgent as ‘proclaiming the Kingdom of God’. For discipleship is not a part-time extra job or a bit of a hobby carried out when other preferred activities are complete, but rather the over-riding context in which a life is lived. Walter W Wessel calls all this a “radical transfer of loyalty” to Jesus. To follow Jesus involves a “radical transfer of loyalty”.

This all is a very important thing to remember when we are talking about what being a Jesus-follower or a Christian is all about. If we say that a person can just come to Jesus and be forgiven and then live in freedom, I think we’ve left a whole lot out. We have not fairly represented the biblical truth, nor been fair to the person themselves. The great commission given by Jesus was about making disciples, not simply adding numbers.

Here is an interesting definition of a disciple I read this week: ‘one who not only welcomes Jesus, but also embodies Jesus’ commitments and practices in one’s own life’ (Joel B. Green in “NISB”, 2003). All other considerations or interests in life should fall into line with this priority. Did the second and third of these would-be-followers (in our passage) really seriously consider following Jesus, or were they only interested if they could control the agenda themselves (as seen by their delaying tactics)?

3. Embodying Jesus

Jesus did not look back when he had “set his face to go to Jerusalem”. Nothing was going to get in the way of bringing salvation, hope and purpose to humankind. There was nothing more important than people being reconciled with God, and learning to live in God’s way. And necessarily Jesus’ followers would have to understand the real nature of taking up this cause. The lot of his disciples is tied in with Jesus’ own lot. It is at this moment that people have to decide if they are joining Jesus in “setting his face” toward the cross and a mission toward all humanity. The true people of God are being formed around Jesus himself (this concept from Luke Johnson cited by R.B. Hays).

Jesus put his own hand to the plough and brought in the Kingdom of God. Jesus first left the glory of heaven, and then his human family and home for our sake. Jesus spent his days with people who were blind, suffering from leprosy and riddled with demons of various kinds, people who had been well and truly rejected by mainstream society. Jesus constantly faced the reality of opposition and the prospect of death. Jesus also involved himself with a ‘rag-tag’ band of slow yet committed learners. And Jesus promoted “good news” that needed to reach the Samaritans and the Gentiles and the people of all the nations of the world ... no matter what religion that they were presently practicing. God seeks to love the refugee and the asylum seeker and all people who live under violence and tyranny. Jesus sought to reach out to the prisoner, to the oppressed, to the poor, and to the blind.

First Isaiah, then Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. [The Spirit of the Lord] has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free; and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour" (Luke 4:18-9).