March 23: A LONG-TERM VIEW

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow you wherever You go.” Luke 9:57

As our Lord steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem (v.51) to bear the sin of the world, there were those who rightly believed that He was the promised Messiah, but wrongly believed that it was time for His kingdom to be fully manifested upon the earth. But Jesus never encouraged a wrong view. In this case, He responded to this man’s short-term view of the arrival of God’s Kingdom: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (v.58).

Jesus’s response to the man seems incredible. From one viewpoint, it is heartbreakingly absurd that the King of the Universe had nowhere to lay His head! But to discourage a declared follower seems counterproductive and unnecessarily hurtful. A deeper look at this exchange reveals that the Lord seeks followers who will truly follow Him regardless of circumstances, whether pleasant or unpleasant. This man saw serving Jesus as only pleasant.

If you are offended or hurt by anything Jesus says, be assured that He does not encourage erroneous beliefs. Take comfort that He wants to free everyone from error. It is against His nature to tolerate thoughts or traits that will ultimately ruin a person; His intention is that such thoughts or traits will be so hurt that they die, for he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Galatians 6:8; see also Romans 8:13). By actively seeking to “put to death” in ourselves anything that has no place in eternity, we become partakers of the eternal Kingdom.

And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but . . . first . . . (Luke 9:61) to which the Savior replied, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (v.62). Jesus says this because He desires to “fit” people for His kingdom! It harms the cause of Christ in the eyes of the world for people to claim to follow Him while ignoring His word. They declare before the world, “I’m a follower of Christ, but I do not believe that He blessed the seventh day as an invitation for restoration of His image in me.” Or “Yes, I love Jesus, but to obey Him on some points is legalism.” The sure way to gain a long-term view that is free from confusion and error is to sow to the Spirit of God. In a love relationship with Him, His Spirit stands ready to lead, to guide, and to encourage . . . even as the world will ostracize and punish you for standing with God. Remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well:

“The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)

Is the Lord’s Day important to Him? Genesis 2:2-3; Isaiah 56:4,6; 58:12-14; 66:23; Ezekiel 20:12,20; Matthew 11:28-29; 12:8; 28:1, 18-20; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56; John 7:23; 9:16; 14:15; 15:14; Acts 13:42, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4; Revelation 1:10; 14:7 (compare to Exodus 20:11)