Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62.
When Jesus walked the earth, people responded to Him in many different ways. Things haven’t changed in that regard. Today we cannot speak to Him face to face but we speak in words and deeds. In today’s verses the man said, “I will follow you, but first…” How could anyone respond to the Lord – “Yes, but first…”? The audacity of that statement reverberates. “I’ll get to you Lord”. “I’m with you, Lord, I just have something I need to do first.” How long will we put off complete surrender and obedience?
Jesus responds with the analogy of the plow. Even in our modern world we understand how the flowing would result if one is not looking ahead and paying attention to the task at hand. If spoken today, Jesus may have used the analogy of driving blind. We would never presume that we could drive to our destination without looking. To reach the destination of a life surrendered to God, we must look ahead, not look back. He asks us to follow Him, no regrets, now retreats, no looking back.
Personal reflection: In what ways are you getting sidetracked from following Jesus? What do you need to leave behind to follow Him fully?