Excuses
Luke 9:51-62
Sometimes I think Jesus had lost his patience with people.
Photo by Aleks Dahlberg on Unsplash
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village. 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 9:51-62
I can't imagine what it must have been like for him, knowing what was about to happen when he arrived in Jerusalem.
Did James and John actually think God would send down fire from heaven against the Samaritans who refused to accept Jesus among them?
Had they used power like that before? Weren't they unable to heal people and cast out demons?
When one person said he would follow Jesus, Jesus responded cryptically, and when people refused to follow him, he dismissed them harshly.
After all his teaching, they didn't understand how difficult a life choice was, ike the one he was asking. Give up everything and follow me.
It is not a request to be taken literally at the time. He will only be going a short distance and then be crucified. It was a change of life he was asking people to make.
We have excuses, too, don't we?
I want to provide a home for my family. I need to pay for my son's education. I want to give my daughter a nice wedding. When I finish doing these things, I can give up everything and follow you.
Really?
How will we follow him then?
Our degree of giving is often judged by our peers. And if we chose to give it all away, what would they say about us?
Irresponsible. Foolish. Crazy.
What it comes down to is desire. Do we desire to be Jesus to others in this world?
We might answer that by saying, "Sure, but I want to hold onto what I have when I do it."
More to come...
Knowing his time was almost up, Jesus had a clarity that the disciples were unable to conjure up. Just like us, they didn't know the end (for themselves) and were likely not understanding the preciousness of time. Things haven't really changed.