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THE ENCOURAGING WORD Text: Luke 9:57 –62 Subject: "The Tragedy of Looking Back" Introduction: Luke, a Gentile physician and companion of Paul, was the author of the Third Gospel. Paul speaks of Luke three (3) times in his epistles calling him "the beloved physician," and indicating later that he was the last friend to remain with him in his second imprisonment. He selects more of Jesus’ parables and puts greater stress on individual characters, than the other writers of the gospel. The book of Luke is the gospel of the Universal Savior; the Savior of the poor and the rich, male and female, Jew and Gentile, slave and free. For all nations and classes, Jesus is the only Savior. As we move through this complex "structure of a machine" we call society, we are incline to imitate or follow a political figure, cult leader, a movie star a pop singer or a successful athlete. Moreover, every cautious individual will have an idol or a national figure whom they imitate. This figure could be one who could lift them to emience or one that could drag them to depths of destruction. In any event, mankind is destine to follow someone. In Luke’s gospel there are three (3) beautiful examples: (1) "And it came to pass, as they walked, a certain man said to him, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go." I will follow you through the valley. I will follow you up the mountain. I will follow you in the garden. But Jesus told him not to promise himself great things in the world in following him: for the Son of man does not have any place to lay his head. Jesus made all, but did not have a house of his own. Christ was poor, to demonstrate and to sweeten poverty to his people. He could have been born rich, but choose not to be. If you follow Jesus, at times you will be forsaken, hungry, lonely, and deserted. Jesus said, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but I do not have any place to lay my head." That is I have no earthly security to offer you. (2). To the next man, he said, "Follow me." But the man said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. (V59). My father is very old at home, and can not live long, and will need me as long as he lives; let me go and take care of him, until he is dead, and then I will come and follow you. Often times, we know our duty but put if off to some other time. We think that our duty to our relatives will excuse us from our duty to Christ. (V60). Jesus answered, "Let the dead bury the dead. You have work to do; go and preach the kingdom of God." Mind you, his father was not sick, his father was not in distress, his father was not senile, but in reality, he was looking for an excuse not to follow Jesus. He was guilty of procrastination, of being indifferent, and guilty of not caring. (3). And the other man said, Lord, I will follow you; but first let me go back home and bid them farewell:
He was more interested in things than in the Grace of God. depress his spirit and be burdensome unto him. (V62). For Jesus emphatically said – No man, having put his hands to the gospel plough, looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. This applies to the rich and the poor, to the learned and the unlearned, to the young and the old, to the bond and the free, and to all mankind. It is written in Philippians 3:13, "I do not think I have already reached it; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." We must forget and forgive the past. And look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Paul wrote in Romans 8:38, "Who can separate us from the love of God? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Remember Lot’s wife who was disobedient. Remember her priviledge, for she was a relative of Abraham, father of the faithful. Remember her sin, for she was looking back, desiring the sinful city. Remember her fate, it was certain, it was final and she became a pillar of salt. On the other hand, we must all beware of earthly entanglements. We must beware of questioning God’s command. We must beware of delays, for they are dangerous. There is tragedy in looking back. Home The New Testament Church This page created and maintained by GCR Online. |