For Or Against

Introduction

Prayer for Children. Words like “total commitment” and “discipleship” have for the most part left our religious vocabulary. When I was going through college, the big emphasis was on the Discipling Ministry found through the Crossroads and Boston Movements. We don’t talk very much any longer about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. On the contrary, much of our talk stems from the benefits of following Christ—forgiveness of sin, freedom from guilt, eternal life, peace, less worry—and these benefits are to be stated, but in our text this morning, Jesus leaves no doubt that to follow him is costly.

Conditional discipleship is not possible. This is what is offered to Jesus in our text. Three different people, with the same desire to follow Christ offer conditions upon which they will follow him. Jesus states directly that discipleship is unconditional. We don’t set the parameters with God but he sets them for us. Our thinking needs to be challenged. The answers Jesus gives may seem harsh to us, but we are the ones who chose to be disciples. If we want to be disciples, then we must listen to what Jesus says is expected. We can’t negotiate with God.

Determination

Luke 9:51 is a transitional verse in Luke’s account. Prior to this, Luke has recorded Jesus’s ministry in the area of Galilee. He hasn’t been chronological in his recording, but has tried to demonstrate that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 61 as quoted in Luke 4:18-19. But now Luke turns his attention to Jerusalem and wants to paint a picture of how determined Jesus is in fulfilling his mission. In fact, it is this same determination which Jesus expects and requires of those who want to follow him.

9:51 literally is that Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. There is a determined decision made to go to the place where he will die. He is not going to be derailed. He is going to march into the city where he will be murdered for his love for people. His followers have been told that they are going to Jerusalem for that purpose. But you know what they are doing? In 9:45-48, they are arguing about who the greatest will be when they get to Jerusalem. Jesus is determined to die and the disciples are determined to rise to power. Jesus is set to be unselfish while the disciples are equally set to carve out territory for fame, glory, and a sense of pride. They are selfish. Is this discipleship?

Nothing is going to stop Jesus from fulfilling his mission. Not the lack of faith in a Samaritan city; not his own disciples misunderstanding; nor will he be derailed by looking at other possibilities. He is completely focused on his mission. This is what Luke wants us to understand. This is a dead man walking. This is a man walking to certain death. This is a man who knows this is what he is here for and no amount of suffering is going to stop him. This is a man who understands that the will of God is not negotiable. This is a man who will honor his father even to the point of death rather than to seek his own ways and his own desires. This is a man who demonstrates for us what it truly means to be unselfish.

And so three times on the road to Jerusalem he is offered the discipleship of someone. Three different people approach him with their decision to follow Jesus if Jesus will agree to some terms. If we can negotiate a contract then we will follow you they seem to say. And Jesus’s response is “keep your contract and make up your mind about me. I’m going to Jerusalem. You can be for me or against me, but there is no negotiation.”

The first man offers to follow Jesus anywhere. And Jesus’s response is to say that he may, but he will have to give up the security and comfort of this life. This is not a text which says that we must not own a house, or drive a car, or have a bed. Instead, this is a passage which speaks about in what we place our security and confidence. Jesus’s response is to say to the one who wants to be his disciple that trust is found in God not in this world.

Jesus offers a second man the privilege of following him, but the man wants to bury his father first. Jesus says to let the dead bury their own, but instead to follow him. There has been much discussion about Jesus not being a family man. Is Jesus saying that we have no family responsibility? Is Jesus being cold and calloused? Yes and no. To the Jews family responsibility was close to worshiping God. In fact, not taking care of mother and father was the same thing as not believing in God. The would be disciple is negotiating terms for when his discipleship should start. The father is not currently dead. Jewish funerary rules would not have allowed a mourner to be seen for seven days. Instead the man is negotiating to stay where he is and when his parents are dead and gone then he will follow Jesus.

Jesus’s response is that nothing is more important than the kingdom of God. Let the dead bury the dead is a way of saying let the spiritually dead take care of such matters. Being offered the opportunity to follow Jesus should go beyond family concerns.

Is this cold and callous? Perhaps, unless we understand that importance of the kingdom. Too often we think of the kingdom as one more egg to put in an already full basket. Jesus is saying that nothing is more important than following him, even if that means leaving family behind.

The third man in much the same way as the second, wants time with his family before he begins to follow Jesus. Again, Jesus’s response is that there is not turning back when you become his follower. Holding on to the kingdom and looking behind will result in a crooked line.

Application

Jesus’s determination to go to Jerusalem and the offering of discipleship to these three intertwine. Discipleship and determination are combined. No negotiating. No conditions. Jesus goes to Jerusalem aware of his impending death. Those who want to follow him will share in his suffering with him. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?

It means to place following him above all other things. Nothing takes priority over following close to him. It means setting aside your own selfish desires in order to follow. It means no conditions. It means accepting his ways as your own.

“Perseverance.” We are part of the greatest kingdom ever. There are some who want to derail us. There are some who will not help us. There are some who say evil things. There are some who try to get us to focus on something else. There are some who attack. There are some who deride. There are some who want to negotiate. There are some who withdraw. But the truth is we are marching to the spiritual Jerusalem. We may not know how we are going to get there. We will be given lots of opportunities to change course. But like Jesus we will firmly set our face to go there because that is what our God wants.

Following Christ was never supposed to be easy. We all get discouraged. But there is no room for conditions placed upon God as if God ought to be thankful that someone of our caliber would want to be his disciples. God offers us the privilege of following him. Will we follow? Or will we negotiate? Or will we lose our focus?

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