Good Morning Friends,
There are several hard saying of Jesus like the first will be last and the last first, and deny oneself and take up a cross, and be perfect and love your enemies. Today we look at one that can be shortened to don’t look back. And of course, we think of Lot’s wife but there is more to it. Elisha quit in the middle of plowing a field when he accepted the call to a new purpose and the disciples left their fishing. There are many factors involved in making difficult choices when one is called to a purpose with Jesus leading. The prospect of starting out on a new endeavor with new behaviors is just part of the challenge. We also must have the tenacity to make our creative ideas and resolutions stick. We need to focus on Jesus. One would think that the choice between good and evil is easy. But people choose evil all the time even though logic would say to choose the good. But when the only choices are between several bad things. We may ask what is the lesser of all the evils. But when all our choices are good, as in today’s scripture examples, we certainly want to start by choosing God first and plowing a straight line to him without wavering. So, Are You Only A Fan Of Jesus Or Are You A Committed Follower When It Comes To The Opportunity Of A Lifetime?
Scripture: In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.” The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.
Nehemiah 2:1-8 (NRSV)
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:57-62 (NRSV)
Message: Friends, the pilgrimage of life is filled with opportunities. Sometimes we go with the flow of people and at other times we are called to take the road less traveled. Sometimes we have a choice between something good and something bad and at other times we must choose between two good things. Easier choices are between good and bad. Yet sometimes people must choose between two things we find unpleasant, like sacrificing one’s own life to save someone we love. In today’s lectionary passages, we have the occasion to walk with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem and engage in the role of Nehemiah as he sees a need to be filled and turns to God for help. Both choices have an edge. In the story of Jesus, we see the choice between burying a parent versus following him, of saying goodbye to family versus following him. All are good, but one is a greater good. At first glance Jesus sounds very harsh as He addresses someone that sincerely wanted to follow Him. The problem is that they were looking in the wrong direction. We all like to reminisce about the good ole days. There is nothing wrong with looking back fondly on the past and reflecting on those great memories. However, there is always the risk of becoming stuck in the past when we begin to believe that those good old days are better than today. When this happens, looking back keeps us from looking forward.
And So, friends, there is a cost to following Jesus and it often, if not always, includes sacrifice. Sometimes old relationships and habits are some of the things that must be left behind. There are times when we are to give up things in which we find security. The point is that sometimes we need to give up some good things to receive the best things. Discipleship requires such a focus. If we look back while following Jesus, we will lose sight of where He is leading us. We need to press on to the goal believing that the best days are still ahead. Service in the Kingdom needs to be a priority over all other good things that we could be doing. We are to move forward with faith.
Pray that when opportunity strikes, we have the courage to choose wisely. Pray we have the heart to follow Jesus even when the path is difficult. Pray therefor that the God of peace equip us with everything good for doing his will. Pray we are prepared and positioned and engage God in the planning. Pray God work in us what is pleasing, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Pray we trust God and follow the opportunities for doing the greatest good even when it difficult. Pray we take advantage of the opportunities to walk with God. Pray that when offered a choice between evils we choose neither.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 