Jesus confronts three would-be disciples, and shows them the deficiencies in their following of Him. In so doing, Jesus challenges Mr. Too Quick, Mr. Too Slow, and Mr. Double-Minded.
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3 Would-Be Followers of Jesus
Luke 9:57-62
There was a cartoon showing a church building with a large billboard in front that proclaimed: “The LITE Church: 24% fewer commitments, home of the 7% tithe, 15 minute sermons, and the 45 minute worship service. we have only 8 commandments, your choice. Everything you’ve wanted in a church… and less!” We may find that a bit humorous, but sadly, it’s not too far off the mark. In our consumer driven American culture, it is the norm for people to choose a church in the same way they choose a favorite restaurant. They look for what is in it for them, what is convenient, and what will not require too much time or commitment. We ought to be looking for a church where we can pour out our lives in service to God by loving His people.
In a Gallup poll conducted several years ago it was concluded that less than 10% of evangelical Christians could be called deeply committed. The majority who profess Christianity do not know basic Christian teachings and do not live differently because of their Christian experience. One Lutheran pastor put it this way, “Ninety percent of our parishes across the country require less commitment than the local Kiwanis club.”
As we look this morning at these 3 Would-Be Followers of Jesus, the operative word that runs through this entire narrative is the word follow. The first and the third would-be disciples said to Jesus, “I will follow You.” Jesus spoke to the second would-be disciple and said, “Follow Me.” This is a passage about following Jesus. Whenever Jesus called a person to be His disciple He would simply say, “Follow Me.” This is what He said to Peter, James and John in Luke 5. This is what He said to Matthew later in Luke 5. The verb is a present imperative, meaning that it was a command requiring ongoing continual obedience. What Jesus was really saying was, “Follow Me, and continue to follow Me for the rest of your life.”
It’s amazing to me to contrast the way Jesus did evangelism with the way we do evangelism today. What are our popular methods of evangelism? Well, we want to get the sinner to do something like raise his hand in an evangelistic crusade, or stand up, or go to the front to confess his faith. Probably the most popular method we have embraced is to get the sinner to say the “Sinner’s Prayer.” And we think that if we can just get this person to go through these motions, then wham-bang, he’s saved, and should never doubt his salvation again. Our modern methods of evangelism give us the impression that being saved is a matter of a moment, not a lifetime. We believe that if we can just get someone to “accept Christ” or have an emotional experience under some passionate preaching or powerful music, then the job’s done. We really think that salvation is merely a matter of getting a person to make a decision, “accept Christ”, “ask Jesus into your heart”, or pray a prayer. Now, let me ask you, is that how Jesus evangelized men? Did He ever try to get someone to pray a prayer in order for them to be saved? Did He ever regard salvation as a momentary event? Did Jesus ever give an “altar call”? Did the apostles ever give an “altar call”? No, I have never come across a single instance in the New Testament where Jesus or His apostles did evangelism the way it is popularly done today in the U.S. Jesus evangelized by commanding men to follow Him for the rest of their lives.
You know, it was really hard to get saved when Jesus was talking to you. Do you realize how many times Jesus would actually erect barriers when someone was interested in being saved. Jesus was not interested in having a lot of superficial followers. For Jesus, it was all or nothing. When great crowds followed Jesus, instead of trying to keep all these people, He would say things like, “Unless you hate your father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even your own life, you can’t be My disciple. Unless you carry your cross and come after Me you can’t be My disciple. Unless you give all your own possessions you can’t be My disciple.” Jesus required absolute and total commitment to Him and His kingdom. Instead of trying to attract followers, it looks like Jesus is trying to drive them off!
That is exactly what we are going to see in our text this morning. At the end of Luke 9 we are presented with three men who either volunteered to follow Jesus or whom Jesus commanded to follow Him. In all three cases, instead of eagerly accepting these men as His followers, Jesus challenged them to see what kind of commitment they were willing to make. I want you to be praying and asking yourself as we work our way through this passage whether you are a true follower of Jesus or not.
1. Mr. Too Quick 9:57-58. “Rash Obedience”
The first would-be follower is described for us in verses 57 and 58, “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has n owhere to lay His head.”
We have a parallel account in Mt. 8:19-22. There we are told that this “someone” is a scribe. A scribe was one who copied and interpreted the Old Testament Scriptures. They were devout Jews, who were well educated and well respected in their communities. Generally, the scribes and Pharisees were antagonistic to Jesus. But in this case, we have a scribe who comes up to Jesus and volunteers to follow Him wherever He went! No doubt, this scribe had seen Jesus heal the sick, open blinded eyes, raise up paralytics, raise the dead, cast out demons, and perhaps multiply fish and loaves for the multitudes. Not only that, he must have heard Jesus teach the crowds the Word of God. He would have been riveted by Jesus. Never did any man speak the way this man spoke. The miracles of Christ were undeniable. And so, in a flush of adrenalin and surging excitement, he volunteered to follow Jesus.
I will follow You wherever You go. He probably assumed that when Jesus got to Jerusalem, He would ascend the throne, overthrow the Roman yoke, and rule over all people. He may have been thinking, “Sure, I’ll sign up for that! Maybe I’ll be chosen to be in a position of power and influence once we get to Jerusalem.”
The foxes have holes… Now, Jesus’ response seems a little strange. Here this important, influential man comes up to Jesus and volunteers to follow Him anywhere He went. Wouldn’t Jesus be pleased and impressed with this man? You would think Jesus would have said, “Great! Welcome to my band of disciples! I’m so glad you made the right choice.” Instead, Jesus warns him of the hardships he will face if He does follow Him. It’s as if Jesus was saying, “Do you understand what it will be like to follow Me? It’s not going to be easy, and many times it won’t be fun. Foxes have holes for their homes. Birds have nests for their homes. I don’t have a home.” Jesus didn’t own a home, or even a bed. He didn’t have the comfort and security that most Jews of His day had. He trusted His Father to provide for Him every day. And, in telling this scribe this, Jesus was tacitly asking, “Are you ready for this kind of life? Are you willing to be homeless like Me and My other disciples?” Are you willing to give up the material comforts you are used to in order to follow Me? The foxes and birds have more of this world’s comforts than I do. Are you willing to forgo the legitimate comforts of this world in order to serve me wholeheartedly?
You see, Jesus knew what was in the heart of this scribe. He knew that this scribe loved his comforts, and luxurious living, and wealth. That was his god. Jesus knew that he could not be one of His disciples as long as he worshiped at the altar of comfort.
You see, he was Mr. Too Quick. In a moment of emotional excitement, he volunteered to go with Jesus anywhere! But Jesus knew his heart, and instead of withholding the truth, He told Him that discipleship would involve hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. Jesus was asking this scribe to count the cost, and not rush into something he would not be willing to take to the very end.
You know, we do people a disservice in our evangelism, when we tell lost people only of the joys and delights of knowing Christ, and neglect to tell them they must unconditionally surrender, and be willing to be maligned, despised, and hated by the world.
What about you? Do you see yourself in Mr. Too Quick? Are you kind of an impetuous person? Do you make decisions rashly, when you are on an emotional high? If so, not so fast! Slow down, and count the cost of what it will mean to be a Christian. A lot of people will tell you that if you will just give your life to Christ, everything will be better. You’ll have a better marriage, a better job, have better kids, better health, and more money. Friends, you need to know that there is no guarantee of any of those things. In fact, things may get worse for you if you follow Jesus. You might lose your job. Your wife might leave you. People may despise and hate you. You may have less money and comforts. Are you willing to follow Jesus anyway? You see, it all boils down to this – what is your Supreme Treasure? How important is Jesus to you? If your earthly comfort is your Supreme Treasure, then you’ll leave Jesus when your comfort is taken away. But if Jesus Christ is your Supreme Treasure, then nothing can ever snatch you away from Him.
2. Mr. Too Slow 9:59-60 “Delayed Obedience”
In verses 59 and 60 we are introduced to Mr. Too Slow, “And He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
In Matthew’s account we learn that this man was a disciple. He was one who had attached himself to Jesus to learn from Him. In this incident, the man doesn’t volunteer. Instead, Jesus goes to him and commands him to follow Him.
Now, this would-be disciple doesn’t reject Christ’s authority outright. He doesn’t say, “No, I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. Now, let me tell you why.” He simply says, “Lord, permit me first.” Now, there are certain words that just don’t go together. “Lord” and “me first” are words like that. They are an oxymoron, which are seemingly contradictory words that appear side by side in a sentence. You know, “Jumbo shrimp”; “Government intelligence”; “deafening silence”; “pretty ugly”; “open secret”; “true myth”; “alone together”; “bitter sweet”; “freezer burn”; “good grief”; “impossible solution” and “working vacation.” It doesn’t make any sense to put “Lord” right next to “me first”. If He is Lord, you never put yourself first. He is always first. Whereas the first man made a rash commitment, this man made a delayed commitment. It was as if he said, “Lord I’ll follow you, after I’ve taken care of something else.” That “something else” was the most important thing in this man’s life. Jesus was not truly his Lord, because something else was of superior value to him.
Now, what was more important to this man than following Jesus? It was burying his father. Now, was this man saying that his father had just died, and he needed to go home and attend the funeral, and then later that day he would be back to follow Jesus. No. If this man’s father had just died, he wouldn’t be there with Jesus. He would be at home with the family. When a person died in ancient Israel, they buried them immediately. They did not embalm. They just put the body in a tomb as soon as possible, that very day. The reality is that this man’s father was very likely still alive, and might still be alive for months or years. The man was saying, out of respect to my father I need to stay at home and look after him until he has died and is buried, and then I will be freed up to follow You.
Now, isn’t that a reasonable request? Isn’t the fifth commandment, “Thou shalt honor your father and mother”? Didn’t Paul teach us that if we don’t provide for our own family, we are worse than unbelievers? Yes, of course. But we must be very careful at this point. In evangelical Christianity today, I fear that we are bowing to the idol of Family. Simply put, family has become more important to us than Jesus. When family and obedience to Christ collide, we choose to serve the idol of family. Often today, we look at God as the means to give us a good family. Friends, when you make the God the means to anything, you’ve got a huge problem. God is not the means to anything! God is the end. The truth is that family is the means to glorify God. God does not exist to serve families. Families exist to serve God. It is strange to me that whenever I go to a funeral and people talk about the person who died, they will always say, “Oh, how he loved his family. He would do anything for them”, as though that were the highest virtue possible. I don’t know if I have ever heard people say of the person who died, “Oh, how he loved God. He would do anything for Him!” Here is a simple proposition: “the things that are temporary are of less value than the things that are eternal.” Well, families are temporary. Christ and His kingdom is eternal. So, if we ever have to choose between family and Christ, we must choose Christ. Following Christ must become the highest priority. This man was telling Jesus that his father came first, and Jesus came second. When his father no longer needed him, he would put Jesus’ interests first. That, my friends, is high treason to Jesus Christ. Christ must always be first in your choices and affections.
Well, how did Jesus respond to this man? Jesus told him to allow the dead to bury the dead. But as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God. Allow me to paraphrase Jesus’ words: “Allow the spiritually dead to bury the physically dead. There are certain things in life that a spiritually dead person can do just as well as a believer. There are other things that only a true believer can do. You be indispensable. See that you don’t spend your life doing what any unbeliever could have done just as well. You, give your life to advancing My kingdom on the earth.”
In and of itself, there is nothing wrong and a lot right with caring for your parents, and when they are dead, giving the body a proper burial. However, it becomes positively sinful if the Lord has told you to do something, and you disobey Him, in order to put the interests of family first. We may care for our families, but it must be out of obedience to Jesus, not instead of obedience to Jesus. Jesus said in Mt. 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
What about you? Are you a Mr. Too Slow? Have you told the Lord that you would follow Him later? At first it was after high school, then after college, then after you got married, then after you had kids. Always procrastinating. Always something else more important than Jesus Christ. I was talking to someone recently who was sharing his story with me, and he was telling me exactly the same thing. He had always told himself that he would get right with God some day, but some day never came. Then finally, it dawned on him that he was in his 40’s and he still had not got right with God. He thought to himself, “I’m getting old. When am I ever going to give my life to God?!” He told me that two days later, he repented and began to follow Christ. If you are telling God “I’ll serve you, but just not right now”, you are living in sin. You are committing ongoing continual sin, and you are demonstrating that other things are more important than Jesus Christ.
What about you? Does Jesus truly have first priority in your life? Or, do you frequently miss church to go to a ball game, or the movies, or the lake with your family? We are commanded in the New Testament to love one another, serve one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, comfort one another…” These are all commands given to followers of Christ. They can only be truly obeyed in the context of a committed relationship to a local church. I know this may make some of you bristle, because you don’t want to have to make a commitment to a local church. You want to be a free spirit, going and doing whatever you want. If you consistently put your own or the desires of your family over the commands of God to serve in the local church, you are doing the very thing that Jesus rebuked this man for.
3. Mr. Double-Minded 9:61-62 “Divided Obedience”
The third would-be disciple appears in verses 61-62, “Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first, permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Again this man volunteers to follow Jesus. And again he says, “Lord, first me.” In addition to that, notice that little 3-letter word “but”. “I will follow You, Lord, but…” There’s another oxymoron. “Lord…but”. Those two words don’t belong together in the same sentence!
Now, what was this man’s excuse for not obeying immediately? He wanted to say good-bye to those at home. Again, this seems like a very legitimate reason to delay following Jesus. Jesus might have said, “Sure, go on home and say good-bye to everyone, and meet me on the road to Jerusalem tomorrow. One day can’t hurt anything.” However, Jesus knows that if this man goes back to say good-bye it would put him in a place of great temptation. His wife and Mom and Dad and children would plead for him not to go, and perhaps would overcome his resolve to follow Jesus. No, rather a disciple must be resolved that he will go on to follow Jesus whether anybody else likes it or not. You remember the old camp song, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.” There is no turning back. There is no putting your hand to the plow, and continually looking behind you longingly at what you are giving up.
Jesus tells this man that if he is looking back after putting his hand to the plow, he isn’t fit for the kingdom of God. You see, Jesus could read this man’s heart and motives. Of course no man can plow a straight line, while he is looking behind him. That’s like trying to drive straight forward while you are looking behind you. Jesus knew that this particular man was like Lot’s wife. Remember Lot’s wife? As Lot and his wife were fleeing from Sodom she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Evidently this man was double-minded. He wanted to follow Jesus, but he also wanted to stay at home with his family and friends. John Bunyan refers to Mr. Facing-Both-Ways. Well, that’s this guy. He’s straddling the fence. He wants Jesus and he wants to be at home. Well, he can’t have both. Jesus tells him that he’s not fit for the kingdom of God. He’s not ready for the kingdom. If you want the kingdom, you can’t be longing for something else. You must want Jesus and His kingdom more than anything else.
My friend, are you like Mr. Double-Minded? Do you want Jesus and eternal life, but also want something else just as much? Do you love a person or possession or game or entertainment or sin, as much as Jesus? Oh, this is a sad situation to be in! If you are going to follow Jesus, you must make up your mind once and for all, that Christ will come first. He demands total allegiance, or He’s not interested in you professing that you are one of His disciples. No matter how difficult or painful a decision is, if the Lord has clearly commanded it, we must obey.
Conclusion
So, how do we apply this Biblical text to our lives? Our circumstances are not the same as theirs. Jesus isn’t walking around on the earth, so that we can literally follow Him. But we dare not imagine that Christianity has evolved into something other than total commitment to Jesus Christ. The requirements of discipleship haven’t changed. Jesus must be first in your life. You must love Christ more than anyone or anything in this world. Nothing must be more important to you than Jesus! In fact, that thing which is more important to you than Jesus, will destroy you!
Search your hearts this morning! Are you a disciple or not? Does Jesus Christ have your supreme allegiance, or not? Is anything more important to you than Jesus? The answer to that question will tell you whether you are a Christian or not. I really don’t care whether you have “prayed the prayer” or not. I don’t care if you have gone up to 100 altars at evangelistic crusades. I don’t care if you have a baptismal certificate framed in your office, or have Jesus Christ tatooed on your arm. You are not a Christian unless you are a follower of Jesus.
Do you have conditions or qualifications on your following of Jesus? Have you put limits on how you will follow, or where you will follow? Have you said, “I will follow You Lord, but…” or “I will follow You Lord, if…” If you are following Jesus with conditions, you are really following yourself, not Him!
My friend, are you a Pretender or are you a true Disciple? A Pretender follows Jesus when it is convenient. A Pretender meets with the church when there isn’t something more exciting to do on a Sunday, when there isn’t an exciting Football game on TV. A Pretender follows Jesus when he is around other followers of Jesus, but then doesn’t follow Jesus when he is around those who don’t follow Jesus. Do you talk a good talk when you are here on Sunday mornings, but then treat your wife or husband with harshness and meanness throughout the week? Are you acting like you love God when you are here, but use profanity, and view pornography, and waste God’s time and money the rest of the week? Are you engaged in sexual immorality? Are you sleeping with someone that you are not married to? Friends, every single one of us are going to stand before Jesus Christ on the last day, and we will all have to give an account of our lives. Jesus Himself said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Mt.7:21). Do you think that that is in the Bible just to take up paper and ink, or do you think Jesus meant what He said?
Some of you profess to love Jesus, but the truth is that He is 2nd, or 3rd, or 4th, or 5th on your list. He is not first and your life reveals it. Quit playing games with God! Even if you can fool others, you can’t fool Him! Oh my friend, you better get serious about following Jesus! You understand that we’re not playing games. We don’t get up and come out here to church every Sunday because we want a little fun and entertainment, and want to enjoy a performance. No! What I am speaking to you about are life and death matters! My friend, your soul is at stake! Quit playing games! Get serious about following Jesus. He knows if you are following Him or whether you are following something else.
So, how can a person know whether they are following Jesus or not? I’ll give you 3 very easy tests: what do you do with your time, your money and your spiritual gifts? Friends, I believe in the local church. I always have and always will. I love the church. I believe that God desires that we live out our discipleship within the local church. Examine the New Testament letters. How are we commanded to live out our lives as disciples in the letters? It is through our service to and involvement in the local church! So, for starters, let’s talk about your use of time. Do you make it a priority to be present when your church gathers? I’m not talking about coming to church when it is convenient, or when there’s nothing better to do. But a disciple disciplines himself to use His time for the kingdom whether he’s feeling it or not. Have you committed to be actively involved with other believers during the week in a Missional Community where you can actually be on mission to make disciples?
What about your money? Do you give to the work of God first, before you pay yourself? If Christ is first, it should be evident in how we use our money. Many believers will take their paychecks and start paying bills, and after all the bills have been paid, and after they have spent some on themselves, then if there is anything left, they give God their leftovers. My friends, this should not be. On the last Day, how you spent your money will be a witness for you or against you.
What about your spiritual gifts. Are you actively serving in the body? Or do you just come and take up a seat each week? My friends, the New Testament is filled with “one another” commands. One of those commands is that we are to serve one another. Are you serving in any way here at The Bridge? Are you serving in the Nursery, or on the Worship Team, or setting up or tearing down the auditorium after service, or bringing food, or praying for the service, or looking for people to pray for? While we are on this subject, I want to challenge you to stop dating the church, and marry her! Stop simply attending, and start giving. Become a committed member of The Bridge. May God help us to stop playing games, stop pretending, and start following Jesus in total commitment! Let’s pray.
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