51"When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55But he turned and rebuked them. 56Then they went on to another village.
57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 59To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." 62Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Here we have the “Purpose Driven” Jesus. Jesus is singled minded, courageous, steely, steadfast and resolved to go to Jerusalem. What does it mean to “set one’s face” to something ? William Willimon writes, Two roads diverged, one led back to Galilee (peace, a haven, safety, a home) and another to Jerusalem (suffering and death). Can you see him hesitating a moment before those divergent roads ? The choices of safety and peril ? He was tempted all the way there. His face, hard set, met inhospitality, rejection and suffering. So what drove him ? What would drive any of us to follow where Jesus calls us ? Could it possibly be love ? Crazy..divine love ? Willimon shares a story told by George Buttrick: Some years ago there was a newspaper account of two men coming down a factory staircase and of one of them flinging the lighted end of a cigarette into what he thought was a fire bucket filled with water. The water proved to be gasoline. There was a sudden spurt of flame. And one youth instinctively, ran dowstairs to save his own skin. The other, just as instinctively ran upstairs to warn the people working in the factory floor above him. Which self takes over in such a time ? The self-preserving downstairs self ? Or the upstairs self ? The Galilee self ? Or the Jerusalem self ? My instinct is like those in the text… “First let me…..then I will follow.” Is this divine, sacrificial love so powerful so as to include me ? Is grace and faith sufficient enough to help me put my hand to the plow and not look back long enough to take the easy way out rather than to face the struggle…the cross ?
2 comments:
"What would drive any of us to follow where Jesus calls us?" Good question. I think it has to do with being caught by grace; that grace is irresistible. We end up getting caught up in things we wouldn't dream of.
At the same time, however, we are in bondage to taking the easy road and looking out for ourselves. The purpose that drives us is self-preservation, as opposed to . . . well, something holy.
This Sunday is my last sermon at Our Savior's. God save me from likening myself to Jesus, the disciples, Elijah, or Elisha. Maybe I'll preach on Galatians.
It seems the Galatians text is a perfect match with this.
For freedom Christ has set us free.
A Methodist colleague taught me a great line: "There are a thousand roads back to the law, and the devil doesn't care which one you take."
I am in bondage, and will seek a million ways to serve ME. Jesus invites you to put your hand to the plow, and in your freedom, serve.
In the mystery of the Gospel, we find that this is the only life.
I think of that verse that the Vicar reminded me of the other day, I Timothy 6
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,
Post a Comment