Luke 9:62 - All The Way With Jesus.
Luke 9:62: All The Way With Jesus.
Luke 9:62 (KJV) And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his
hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
WORD STUDY
Looking back: The attitude of a person who has made a decision
but does not live up to it ("keeps looking back"). [UBS Translator
Handbook Series]
CONTEXT
Luke 9:57-62: The Cost of Following Jesus. [NIV, NLT]
COMMITMENT (Luke 9:57-62). Many in Jesus day volunteered
or were called to discipleship. But many fell short of commitment.
There was THE EAGER DISCIPLE (v. 57) who volunteered to
follow Jesus anywhere"till Jesus warned that discipleship might be
uncomfortable.
There was THE RELUCTANT DISCIPLE (v. 59) who, when commanded
to follow, wanted to wait until his father had died and been
buried! Jesus rejected the excuse. Go and proclaim the kingdom of
God. There is no evidence that this reluctant disciple obeyed.
There was also THE SOMEDAY DISCIPLE (v. 61), who wanted only
a little time. Just to say good-bye to the home folks. Then,
someday soon, he would follow. This too was unsatisfactory.
You see, what Jesus seeks is THE NOW DISCIPLE (v. 62). Jesus
wants the person who will put his or her hand to the plow and, without
looking back, move straight out to do Gods will. [Victor Teachers
Commentary]
COMMENTARY
The picture of a person putting a hand to the plow and
looking back can be compared with Elijah's call of Elisha in 1 Kings
19:19-21. Elisha was called to be a prophet right in the middle of plowing
a field -- and he never looked back. In fact, he slaughtered the
oxen so that they would not even be a temptation to return. Elisha
then moved wholeheartedly into the ministry to which he had been
called
Jesus explained that service in the kingdom of God was of
such vital importance that his followers must make it their top
priority What does Jesus want from his followers? Total dedication, not
halfhearted commitment. His followers must accept the cross along with the
crown, judgment as well as mercy. They must count the cost and be
willing to abandon everything else that has given them security. Nothing
should distract them from service for the kingdom. (Life Application
Commentary)
Few invitations lead with warnings of the difficulties
involved, but Jesus was always realistic with potential followers. The
Kingdom is not for people who want a comfortable, easy life. It's for
people who want a meaningful life anchored in truth. And to pursue that
kind of life necessarily involves coming up against all its
contradictions, both internal and external, many of them hostile. So the
follower of this King should be prepared for some hardships, free from
distracting obligations, and clearly focused on the goal. Looking back is
not an option.
Jesus presented a picture to make His point. A farmer doesn't
pull the plow; the ox handles that. The farmer guides the plow, and
the only way to guide something in a straight line is to look
forward while doing it. If the farmer turns around and looks behind, the
furrow will be crooked. That's not the best way to work a field. The
farmer won't cease to be a farmer; he just won't be a very good one.
He'll need to learn his craft a little better to really be fit for the
job.
Jesus isn't telling potential followers, "Suffer hardship or
don't bother coming at all. But to experience Kingdom life the way
we are designed to experience it, we'll have to be single-minded
about it. The Kingdom isn't about what already happened; its about
what is to come. And we'll need to keep our eyes looking ahead if we
want to see it well.
Too many Christians are weighed down by the things in their
past - or by the peripherals and distractions going on around them.
Focus forward, diligently looking to see what God is doing and how you
can be a part of it. Know that it requires constant attention and
may involve hardship. Those who are looking for a comfortable life
will find the Kingdom uncomfortable for now. But when you gaze into
God's plan, everything else fades into the background. Focus brings
clarity. And it brings the Kingdom into view. [The One Year Heaven On
Earth Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
Stay Focused on Gods Plan for Your Life
I have met thousands of people whove told me they want to
be used by God but who will never be used by God. Why? Theyre
too busy. Theyve got their own agenda going. Theyve got their
plans and dreams and ambitions, and they dont have any time! In the
midst of their busyness, they try to carve out a little sliver from
the pie of life and say, Ill give this to God. But it
doesnt work that way.
If youre serious about being used by God, you have to say,
Lord, what do I need to let go of? What do I need to cut out? What
barriers are holding me back and keeping me from running the race you
have for me?
Lots of different barriers will hold you back from Gods
plan for your life. One of the biggest categories: distractions.
Jesus said in Luke 9:62, Anyone who lets himself be distracted from
the work I plan for him is not fit for the kingdom of God (TLB).
Here are a few of the many things that could distract you
from your life mission:
* The expectations of other people. Youve got to decide
whom youre going to please first in life. You can only have one
number one.
* Hobbies. Theres nothing wrong with these things. But if
they distract you from the most important things, then you need to
let go of them.
* Your past. Maybe you refuse to let go of your past -
whether its guilt or resentment or grief. But if youre stuck in
the past, you cannot get on with the present, and you certainly
cant get on with Gods future for you. Your past is past. Its
over! You need to let it go.
What do you need to let go of? The Bible says in 1
Corinthians 10:23, Everything is permissible, but not everything is
helpful (HCSB). What does that mean? It means this: A lot of things
arent necessarily wrong; theyre just not necessary. Life often
means choosing either Am I going to do something good? or Am
I going to do whats best?
If the Devil cant make you bad, hell make you busy.
Hell get you so busy that you dont have time for the important
stuff - time alone with God, ministry, and mission.
You need to simplify your life and eliminate distractions so
God can use you. Dont try to do it all. Do what matters most!
What are the most important things in your life?
Think of some of the good things that youve put first
in your life. How have they distracted you from the most important
things and from Gods mission for you?
Why are we so easily distracted by seemingly good things
that are not Gods best for us? https://pastorrick.com/devotional/
ILLUSTRATIONS
In today's Scripture, Jesus said, "No one who puts a hand to
the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
It calls to mind the historical account of the Spanish
conquistadors. In 1519, Hernan Cortes and a small army left Cuba and set out on
a great conquest to find gold. To convey the seriousness of the
mission, when Cortes landed at Veracruz (Mexico), he ordered his men to
deliberately scuttle the ships that had brought them to land. There would be
no "exit strategy - no turning back for the Old World. Their
destiny was now the New World.
The lesson for believers is unmistakable. We need to be just
as committed about leaving our old world, old priorities, old
habits, and old lifestyle choices. When Jesus asks us to follow Him, it
means not even looking back. What do you need to destroy to make good
on your radical commitment to Him?
Lord, I don't even want to look over my shoulder to see if
I've scuttled my ships. Today is all that counts. You have called me
to take up my cross daily and follow You, and that is what I seek
to do. Holy Spirit, please give me a forward focus today, making
the most of every opportunity You place before me. [A Spectacle of
Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry Libby]
My four-year-old grandson is an avid bug catcher! He spends
hours in the rock garden turning over every stone, looking for
roly-polies or other tiny, bug-like creatures. He's extremely focused, and
should one of us wander into the yard while he's bug hunting, he's
happy to enlist our help with his mission.
As I noted my grandson's devotion to bug catching, I realized
an important truth: If we're not willing to turn over every stone
in our search for wholeness, we may miss some of the treasures God
has waiting for us. He loves to reward our hard work with unexpected
blessings, but we won't find them unless we are searching diligently.
In recovery, its not enough to just get by. To find true
peace, healing, forgiveness, courage, and all the rest that wholeness
provides, we must stay focused and dedicated at all times. We have to be
willing to use all the resources God has provided and call on every
person we know to help us. We have to be all in. Like my grandson, we
have to turn over every stone.
Heavenly Father, put a passion and fire in my heart to fully
commit to my recovery and find every unexpected blessing you have for
me. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by
John & Johnny Baker]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Jesus couldn't have made it any clearer. The words "follow
Me" carry a strong and serious sense of mission. Today, though, in
our age of easy believism, when Jesus says, "Follow Me," we imagine
He is saying, "Try it out. See how it feels. See if it works for
you. Give it a thirty-day, no-risk, free trial." In other words,
though most of us wouldn't admit it, we follow Him incrementally, in
little flashes of fervency. We're not really all in. This week, look
through the gospels and study how seriously Jesus conveyed a call to His
followers. Then shed any and all trappings of your old way of living.
Disentangle yourself from every bad habit, and then turn and follow your
Lord. You are a follower of Jesus, so don't look over your shoulder at
what you might be leaving behind. The path ahead is so much brighter
and better with Jesus leading the way.
Lord, today is all I have. I can't make up for not following
You yesterday or last week. And I wouldn't presume to boast about
how I will follow You tomorrow. Today You are saying to me once
again, "Follow Me," and I am faced with the choice all over again. I
choose, dear Lord, to follow wherever You lead. [A Spectacle of Glory by
Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry Libby]
Follow Me" is still Christ's word to men.... It is his
universal call to men, a call in which He claims authority, and assumes
ability to guide, and lead, and deliver; a call in which He insists that
those who come after Him must believe in Him and demonstrate their
belief by obedience....
But there are difficulties in the way. There are those . . .
who are supremely conscious of their own need of just that which He
claims to be able to supply, who, in their deepest heart intend to
follow Him, but . . . "I will follow Thee, Lord; but.... " And the
following never begins.
My message . . . is that the claims of Christ are such that
everything which comes after the "but" needs to be resolutely put out of
the life. There can be nothing after such a "but" as that, which
warrants the halting of a soul.... That which comes after that "but" is
that against which you must fling all the force of your resolve; for
the ending of it, the putting away of it, you must bring to bear
your own will and choice, and henceforth say to Him: "I will follow
Thee, Lord." G. Campbell Morgan [Spirit Filled Life Devotional SB]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20080522-0856.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
