Luke 9:51–62
Christ and His Messengers Proclaim His Kingdom
Today God reveals Himself to us through the frail preaching
of the Gospel. The Son of Man sends “messengers
ahead of Him ... to make preparations for Him” (Luke 9:52).
Putting their hand to that plow of preaching, they “go and proclaim the kingdom of God,”
and they do not look back (Luke 9:60, 62).
What they preach is not the power of the Law with its “yoke of slavery,” but the power of God
unto salvation through the Gospel of forgiveness, by which “Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1).
Lord of all power and
might, Author and Giver of all good things, graft into our hearts the love of
Your name and nourish us with all goodness that we may love and serve our
neighbor; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.[2]
In Luke 9:51, the whole tenor and tone of Luke’s gospel
changes. Jesus sets His face. To go to Jerusalem. Meaning unwavering
determination. Now the focus is on the cross. Where He will redeem humankind.
From the clutches of Satan. From bondage to the Law. From everlasting death.
We’ve reached a turning point in Luke's gospel. Now Jesus knows the end is
near. He sets out resolutely toward Jerusalem. The cross is now His focus.
Our eyes, too, must ever be focused on the cross of
Christ. It is there alone that we are
able to find true freedom. If we are going to faithful to the Lord, as was
Elijah, they must always proclaim Christ - Crucified as a sacrifice on your
behalf. He has “set his face” toward THE
CROSS.
The words of Christ in today’s Gospel are difficult. And
deliberate. These words of Jesus are not rainbows and butterflies. He speaks of the demands of discipleship.
Following Christ requires discipline. Many would not mind being a Christ
follower if it did not cost anything in the way of personal hardship and
sacrifice. The Savior confronts us. With the truth of the high cost of being
one of His followers. He turns away several who want the honor and the prestige
of following Christ without fulfilling its demands. This morning we consider
what Christ requires of His followers.
1. There is no money in
it! As they were
walking along the road, a man said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. [Luke 9:57-58] You
won’t get rich by becoming a follower of Christ.
A Christian does not make money the goal of his life. If he
has money, his love for Christ will cause him to share it.
This raises a question. It’s easy to talk about modern sects
who get amazing amounts of money to buy hotels, banks, and estates. It’s easy
to single out radio and television evangelists living in luxury. But what about
you? Look at the ledger of your checkbook. It shows the priorities in your
life.
It’s a window to your soul. It shows what drives you. Where
is your first love?
2. There is urgency
about it! He said to
another man, "Follow me."
[Luke 9:59] Being a Christ follower. Being a disciple. Demands an immediate
response. διάγγελλε, Keep proclaiming. On every side. The Kingdom of God.
That. Is your only business. Everything else. Must be sacrificed. Seek first
the kingdom.
Not even something as important as arranging and attending a
family funeral should keep you from responding. Let someone else attend the
funeral. The Kingdom cannot wait until you fulfill lesser responsibilities. And
that is Jesus’ point. Were it up to us to achieve our place in the Kingdom we
would never make it. Thankfully, Jesus invites us by grace. He makes it
possible for us to become members of His eternal communion.
3. There is a
singleness of purpose.
Still another said, "I will follow
you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his
hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
[Luke 9:61-62] No one who plays looks back. The eye is on the goal ahead. You
cannot go back to say “goodbye” to your family.
A disciple is likened to St. Paul who said “One thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind…” A follower of Christ has a one- track mind. One purpose
in life. One task. One devotion: Jesus Christ.
4. For what are you
living? Some today
lack a purpose in life. They are committed to no one, nor to anything. This
results in double-mindedness, shiftlessness, drifting here and there,
inconstancy. They have not made up their minds what they are to do with their
lives. A genuine Christian is not one of these. He follows the example of
Christ. He knows who he is for he knows whose he is. He knows where he is
going, what he is to do, and why he is doing it. Here we see Jesus’ total
commitment to the Father’s call to be the Messiah. This requires His total
interest, effort, and sacrifice. What Jesus does in terms of commitment He
expects of his own. There are many forces at work calling for our attention.
Yet our chief focus needs to be totally committed to Christ.
In many respects, this may be called commitment Sunday. As
Elijah is committed to the tasks, God gave him. Elisha is committed to the call
to serve as Elijah’s successor. Paul is committed to a life lived by the Spirit
of God. The Savior is committed to go to Jerusalem to fulfill His destiny as
the Messiah. Thus, He calls you to total commitment of anyone who desires to
follow Him. Remain committed to Christ as He is committed to you.
Passive Sentences –4%
Readability –77.8%
Reading Level – 4.8
[2] Collect for Proper 8, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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