The Importance of Home: Luke 9:51-62
51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 So they went on to another village.
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” 62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.
I). I don’t know if you have ever imagined growing up in a “parsonage family” in the United Methodist church.
A). It’s tough on the family.
• We realize that the place where we live isn’t truly “our house” – it’s yours.
• We have lived in some parsonages where we were truly ‘under a microscope.’
• Some had ‘house rules’ that we were expected to follow – things about pets, pictures, how the yard was to be kept and so on.
• We gave away a beloved dog one time while my girls were young in order go to a new appointment without any conflict with the church – who didn’t want pets in the parsonage (it might be inconvenient for them) – we grieved at the loss, but we did it anyway.
• It was always supposed to be asked to the church members: Would like for you and your family to live in your church parsonage (and again, not only the house – but with the ‘landlords’ you would have, lol).
B). But it’s especially hard on the preacher’s kids.
• They grow up having a different view of what “home” is.
• While most of their friends have a more settled home life, preacher’s kids are always wondering, “Are we going to be moving this year? Is this the year we say good-bye to my friends, my church, my school?
• Preacher’s kids see how their pastor-parent is scrutinized.
• They know about the visits and phone calls their parents get from time to time - even in the middle of the night – that gets dad and mom out of bed – and often times their ‘preacher-parent’ leaving to go to a hospital or on some other emergency.
• They don’t feel like they live in homes – just somebody else’s house.
C). Back in 2012 Phillip Phillips recorded a song for the USA Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team.
• It wasn’t a song he had written and it was said that at first he didn’t even like it – and didn’t want to sing it – but he was under contract and so he did.
• It became a hit – and you will probably recognize at least a part of it because it was used in what seems like every other commercial on TV for a while.
• In an uncertain age, and just a few months after 9/11 it captured a great deal of attention.
• It touched something deep within us—some longing, some hope that almost goes beyond words – it’s called “Home”
D). Home – family – roots - settling down - putting your feet up.
• Make yourself at home.
II). The title of this message is, “The Importance of Home.”
A). The funny thing is that – based on the Scripture that we read from Luke 9 – Jesus seems to be against those things: Home – family – as the Beverly Hillbillies would say, “Sit a spell – take your shoes off”. (I played the banjo section from the TV show "The Beverly Hillbillies" here)
• You’d think those are the things that Jesus would be in favor of!
• You know - helping us to get home- finding where we belong - fit in – finding that place where everybody knows our name! (I played a bit from the theme of the TV show "Cheers" - 7 opening notes)
• Isn’t that what this faith thing is all about? Finding ourselves? Arriving at home, at last?
B). Well, you’d think so - and Jesus does do all those things for us. But his description of that is different from ours.
• The way He uses of finding things is almost like losing them.
• Jesus’ way of getting somewhere sounds like a never-ending journey!
• We want to be settlers; but He seems to want us to be pilgrims.
C). But Jesus I just want to go home!
• We say that from time-to-time, especially when we have been away from home for a while.
• I just sleep in my own bed and sit in my own chair.
• Sometimes even home isn’t home.
• Jesus – isn’t that what your whole parable of the Prodigal Son thing is all about???
• But here you make it sound like in following you we are just supposed to slip away, rudely, as though the people who know us best aren’t important enough to even bid farewell.
III). In v.51 (that 1st verse we read at the beginning) we see that Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem.
A). He knew what was going to happen when He got there
• You know, the whole arrest, trial, beating, crucifixion & death thing.
• But still, He was determined to go!
B). On the way, the Samaritans didn’t want to deal with him because of it.
• That ticked off the disciples, who wanted to call down fire to burn them all up.
• Everybody seems to be a bit on edge.
• It’s like everyone just needs to go home. Go home and settle down. Go home and calm yourself. Maybe if Jesus just lightened up a bit.
C). That can happen when we are really committed to something or someone…especially when its’ Jesus.
• We don’t like the commitments Jesus puts on us.
• We don’t like the demand part of the faith, the commitment part.
• We like the grace part, and we often we think grace is “anything goes, as long as your hearts in the right place.”
• We don’t mind the “be like little children” part – but not so much the “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
• Maybe Jesus was just having a bad day – after all – He is going to Jerusalem to die.
IV). But maybe Jesus knows something we don’t know – and He’s desperately trying to tell us what it is.
A). Did you notice that the three men who came up to Jesus in this passage of Scripture? Every one of them dealt with a home.
• To the first, who said he would follow Jesus everywhere – Jesus basically replied, “I don’t have a home” (no place to lay My head.) – and He went on down the road.
• To the 2nd one Jesus said, “Come, follow Me” and the man said, “I will – but let me go home first – my father is old and probably going to die soon.” – Jesus said, “Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” (And to be honest – we really don’t know which path the man choose).
• The 3rd one said, “I will follow You, but first let me go home and say good-bye to my family.” Jesus basically said that he was not fit for the Kingdom of God.
• Again, what’s going on with Jesus?
B). Well, like I said, just maybe He’s trying to tell us something…and that is that a person’s true home is never found by standing still, or by going back.
• It might as well have been Jesus who said, “You can never go home again.”
• Home is never “back there.”
C). The other thing is: Home isn’t a place as much as it is a relationship.
• Think about that 1st guy Jesus encountered, what if he had just said, “I will follow You” – and not added “wherever You go?”
• See the difference: The man was concerned about the destination, not about the journey.
• It became about the place and not about the commitment to follow.
• Too many Christians are that way today: They want to get to the destination (Heaven) without all the commitment it takes to actually follow Jesus.
D). Those other two guys? They wanted a both/and.
• They wanted to follow but wanted to stay behind at the same time.
• They wanted to be Christians in the world – not apart from it.
• I want to follow, and will follow, but I’ve got responsibilities, so as soon as get my life under control, I’ll be back.
• I’ve got lots of relationships; as soon as I get them in order, I’ll be back.
• I wonder if the second one had simply said, “Yes, I’ll follow you,” if Jesus would have sent him back to care for his father, because he made the commitment!
• Instead, they both said, “I will be committed to You – but…”
Is that how we are in our commitment to Jesus? If we are then we will find our lives all over the map – never sure exactly where we are headed.
• But we Christians have a destination - we’re heading home, and home is where God is.
• Home is here and home is not here.
• Home is the relationships that we build with one another, but most important it’s the relationship we build with God.
• He is our Father – He is to be our life’s commitment – He is the One who calls us – and who sends us.
• His way is the way home.
