Following JesusÀpẹrẹ

DON'T LOOK BACK

This passage contains one of the most difficult sayings of Jesus to understand. An individual comes and tells Jesus that he is willing to follow Jesus wherever He goes. Jesus gives him a warning. The intention may be good, but following Jesus would not be a bed of roses. Instead, it would have many uncertainties. Even birds and animals have some form of security in their lives, but Jesus does not have any and so following Jesus would mean living in worldly insecurity. When we decide to follow Jesus, we need to be willing to leave worldly security behind us and trust Jesus.

The next individual is called by Jesus to follow Him, but asks for something which can be understood in Asian culture now and especially in Jesus’ time - to be allowed to follow after the death of his father. This is common even today, as parents have a say in the life choices of their adult children in Asia and so it is easier to make dramatic choices once they are no longer around. Jesus says that the choice to follow Jesus is not one that can be put off. Let those among our relatives who do not follow Jesus look after those who are not following Him, but we need to follow Jesus.

This last example can easily be misunderstood and we need to balance this with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 15:3-7, where Jesus says that we cannot refuse to provide for our parents because we have dedicated our wealth to God. So, Jesus is saying that while we cannot let family expectations keep us from following Him, we must not shirk our duty to our parents either.

Jesus encourages us to count the cost before making the decision to follow Him. In Luke 14:28-33, Jesus says that anyone who wants to follow Him must first count the cost and evaluate if it is something that they will truly be able to do. It is not a casual decision, but one involving sacrifice and commitment.

Once we choose to follow Jesus, there should be no wistful glances back to our old life. Luke 9:62 reads as follows: “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’.” Lot’s wife looked back and lost her escape from Sodom (Genesis 19:26).

Have you counted the cost of following Jesus and then made the decision? Remember turning back later is disastrous.