The Way of Jesus
Luke 9:51-62
June 24, 2007
On Thursday, Deb and I left Luke, Ben and Emma with my parents at the Oregon coast and took off to attend a portion of our denomination’s Annual Meeting in Portland. After the meeting was over, Deb and I got back in the car to head back to our campsite and to pickup Luke, Ben and Emma.
As we were making our way out of the parking lot, Deb was giving me directions because she and many of you ladies had been at the same motel 3 years ago for Triennial. She gave excellent directing and we were on I-5 headed south, headed back into Portland. But we weren’t going fast because it was 5:00 p.m. and Portland traffic on that day anyway looked just like Seattle.
Because we were putzing along, I told Deb to chill out and to read and that I knew where to go and how to get us home.
Wrong.
After a while I realized that I had missed the bypass road that would have taken us around Portland and as a result I was headed right into the city of Portland during rush hour.
Over to my right I saw the big bridge with traffic flowing – the Bypass around Portland.
And there we sat on I-5, bumper to bumper.
Running through most major cities in the United States runs a highway, a major thoroughfare. The thoroughfare, the highway, the interstate is the primary way people travel to, from and through the city Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles have I-5. Omaha has I-80, Chicago-I-90 and I-94, Minneapolis-I-94, Cleveland I-90, Phoenix-I-10. These roads often are the straightest, most direct way from point A to Point B.
But they also are quite busy and in rush hour, as I learned anew, very busy.
So as a result, cities began to construct bypass roads, roads that branch off the main highway and head around the city only to connect back up to the main highway later. The thought being that drivers could avoid all the busyness of going through town and traffic could run more smoothly.
In Jesus’ day there was one main thoroughfare between Galilee in the north and Jerusalem in the south and there was also - bypass.
This bypass was created not to avoid a certain city, but to avoid a whole region, the region of Samaria.
But in our text, Jesus who want to travel from Galilee to Jerusalem will not let himself nor his followers take the bypass.
Luke 9:51-56, p. 1611
The text tells us in v. 51, that Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And the route he chose to take was through Samaria.
The text tells us in v. 52, that messengers were sent into a Samaritan village to set things ready for him.
When the 12 heard that Jesus was dead set, purposefully, intentionally and resolutely heading South on the I-5 highway of the day from Galilee in the north to Jerusalem in the south and that he wanted to go through Samaria and not take the by-pass that every other Jew would typically take, the 12 must have thought Jesus was out of his mind.
For over 700 years whenever a Jewish person in Galilee (the north) needed to travel south to Jerusalem, the route, the road, the highway they would take intentionally, would be the bypass. Though this route, this road caused their journey to be 3 days longer, they preferred it because it meant they would not have to travel through Samaria he region between Galilee and Jerusalem.
This region was filled with, populated by Samaritans. The Samaritans were - Jews, who sold out their pure blood to join with people from other nations, were the enemy to every purebred Jew. The Samaritans were dirty, unclean, less that pure in God’s eyes or so the Jewish people thought. For 700 years generation upon generation of Jew was taught by their grandparents and parents to bypass, to take the 3-day detour around Samaria so as to not have to enter enemy territory. If one disregarded this ancient wisdom, they could be subject to being beaten, robbed and hassled until they left. And so when Jesus in v. 51 resolutely or purposely or with determination set his face toward Jerusalem and then told the 12 to get things ready for him in a Samaritan village (v. 52) they had to be thinking, What is Jesus up to now?
The text tells us that the Samaritans didn’t welcome him. There was no party for him.
Jesus no doubt expected this to be the Samaritans response. He of all people knew the hearts of the Samaritan people, but he nevertheless wanted to provide them with an opportunity to receive him. Jesus the one sent by God into this world wanted to extend himself and demonstrate his love for these people one last time; but the people rejected him. Jesus extended himself, invested himself, made himself vulnerable in order that a few could be saved.
And friends this is our God.
A God who doesn’t avoid.
Who doesn’t take the bypass traveling around our lives?
But instead journeys right into them.
Before we go on, we need to ask ourselves this morning, What does this mean for us, when Jesus chose I-5 and not 405? When Jesus went right through Samaria and didn’t take the bypass. What does this mean for you and me?
Quite often you and I find ourselves at a crossroads. We encounter a person; a circumstance, a situation and we are given a decision. We will respond, speak, act, walk as Jesus would or will we take the bypass, avoid the situation, ignore its reality, not demonstrate the love of Jesus. Will we shrink back, being consumed with fear and doubt? Caring for ourselves and our own protection? Or will we do as Jesus did, head straight into town - not taking the bypass.
Let me ask another question. When was the last time you entered your Samaria? Talked with your Samaritan enemy? That place or that person that you bypass-ignoring them in the supermarket, avoiding them in the school hallway, acting like you didn’t see them at the game, crossing the street to not come face to face with them; because of something that happened way back.
Some of you here today don’t need to worry those questions because you are the Samaritan or feel like one. You feel like your past, your decisions and choices have prevented God from ever having anything to do with you. You believe that You’ve blown it and because you have, God will not doubt take the bypass, bypassing the mess you’ve made of your lives, yourselves, your kids, your marriage, job, etc.
But here’s the deal. That’s not our God. He doesn’t take the bypass.
If you are here today feeling bypassed by God you have been taught all wrong. Jesus comes. Jesus enters your life seeing if you will receive him. The Bible says, "To those, to any who receive him to any who believe in his name they become children of God. Children not born of human descent but children born of God." (John 1:12-13)
Samaritans here today don’t let your human history, your contaminated self-belief of your history prevent you from missing the fact, reality and good news that Jesus will not bypass or take a detour around anyone. He gives all people the opportunity to give him welcome.
And if they don’t - that is if we choose not to give Jesus welcome, He will wipe the dust off his feet, leaving for another village and for people who might give him welcome.
And that is what he did. Verse 56 says, "They, Jesus and the 12, went to another village."
Verses 57-62 record for us 3 conversations that took place along that road.
Conversation #1 takes place on the "on ramp." A man sees Jesus traveling along the main road to Jerusalem and yells out to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." (v. 57) This man is interested in Jesus,
Curious
had know heard about him
admired him
and was ready to follow him.
Jesus’ response:
v. 58, "foxes have holes, Birds have nests, but the Son of man has no places to lay his head."
Jesus responds by telling the man on the "on ramp" the realities of this journey.
Foxes have holes.
Birds have nests.
But me - Jesus - the Son of man, has not place to call home - no place to lay my head.
If you are wanting to follow me, it will mean sacrifice, service, sufferings. This isn’t a cushy ride. It will mean giving up things. Can you count the cost?
In verse 59, we have a 2nd conversation. In this one, Jesus initiates the conversation. Jesus a bystander to join him.
v. 59, "He (Jesus) said to another man, "Follow Me."
It is the same request he gave to Peter, James, John and Andrew, but unlike those men who left everything immediately to follow him this man replied.
v. 59b, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
And Jesus responds, v. 60
Jesus’ response sounds cruel.
Sounds a bit callous.
Scholars have written all kinds of words trying to explain Jesus’ response. Some believe that the guy’s dad was near death. Some believe he was already dead. But I’m not that concerned about that.
In Jesus’ response, I read "urgency." "Now is the time."
Don’t allow anything that has happened or might happen prevent you from becoming a follower.
This man - like myself, has a long list of to-dos before he can commit.
He has a list of things to get done.
To straighten out.
To put in order.
Legitimate things, like burying a father.
In Jesus’ response though, we see the urgency with which he views his mission. Proclaiming the Kingdom of God is of the utmost urgency.
We will always have something planned. Something to do.
But at some point you have to decide to leave it all behind and jump in!
The third conversation is in verse 61; this man is also on the On Ramp to faith. He says: v. 61
This person has a desire to fallow.
Has a stirring to be with Jesus and can even call him Lord, but he has a "but" attached to it.
"I will follow but - I’ve got to go back and say good-by."
Jesus’ response, v. 62,
Jesus responds with an image of a farmer plaint the field. To place a field officially, you pick a point and aim straight for it, keeping your eyes looking forward, then the field will be plowed straight.
If you don’t do this. If you keep looking behind yourself, to what has already been plowed, you aren’t fit for service in the Kingdom of God.
What’s Jesus telling us? "Don’t look back." Don’t let the past become the focus of your life today, move on, look forward.
Keep your eyes ahead of you.
We’ve got hearts to till.
Service to render.
I’ll take care of your family.
Your commitments.
Don’t let these keep you from joining me on the journey.
Not notice something.
Jesus will not let his would be followers to take bypass way of travel. He will not let them veer off to do life their way, only to meet up with Him later.
Jesus tells the people - his way is costly.
You’ll have to leave some things behind.
And you can’t look back.
And how do the 3 respond?
We don’t know.
Luke doesn’t tell us.
We don’t know if one chose to follow or if all 3 did.
I think Luke didn’t tell us on purpose. I thing he wanted to leave that question open-ended, making it a question for you and me.
How do you respond to Jesus/’ invitation? Will we go with him on the main highway or take the bypass.
Like these 3 people we have myriads of valid excuses that are meant to help us feel good about living our lives on the bypass road.
Jesus, I intend to merge my life with yours.
When I am not so busy
When I have more time
Energy
Money
After I finish school
When I am older
When I feel healthy
After I take that trip.
Each of us has our bypass excuses. Each of us have our list of reasons to avoid the way of Jesus.
Jesus knows this he’s heard them all before.
But he doesn’t lower the bar. He doesn’t cover his standard. He will not bless people if the road they choose to take isn’t his road.
This too is our God. His expectations are high.
Last night when I went over this with Deb, her first response was yikes. Mine too.
We have work today,
But know that as you do it.
As you choose to merge your life with Jesus’ way, Jesus is going with you. Amen
