Now, I don’t endorse his political objectives, but I have always admired one thing about Jesse Jackson B his slogan "Keep your eyes on the prize," which he used during his unsuccessful run for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president of the United States in 1988. I mention this because that’s what we must do when we choose to follow Jesus! We must keep our eyes on the prize! And that’s what Jesus modeled for us:
1. He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem(v. 51b). - Knowing that the time had come for Him to go to Jerusalem, where He would suffer a cruel death on the Cross, and then return to Heaven, from whence He had come, He began to travel in that direction.
2. His ultimate goal was not Jerusalem. - He was on an eternal journey, and He wanted followers who would go all the way to the end (heaven) with Him. It would be a fantastic journey, but it would not be easy. There would be many stumbling blocks along the way. But there could be no other way! In John 14:1-3, Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father=s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Then, in v. 6 of that same chapter, He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
3. He would experience rejection in a Samaritan village (v. 53). - Jesus was not deterred by rejection in a Samaritan village, but simply went on to another.
4. He rebuked the bad attitudes of James and John - When James and John , the impetuous Sons of Thunder, wanted to command fire to come down from heaven and consume the Samaritans who rejected Jesus. Jesus not only rebuked them, but He also set the record straight as to what His real purpose was in coming to earth in the first place. In vv. 55b-56 He said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men=s lives but to save them."
II. LEAVE ONE’S COMFORT ZONE - "Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, Lord, I will follow You wherever You go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."(vv.57-58).
1. A promise from a follower. "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go" (v. 57). This was a significant promise. But could he keep it? The man certainly seemed to be sincere and wanted to stick with Jesus.
2. A difficult response from Jesus - "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (v. 58). Have you ever thought of the fact that once Jesus entered into His ministry, He had no earthly home? He was constantly traveling on the move! He was going from place to place meeting the needs of people, and He was literally pursued by the multitudes. So when this man came saying that he wanted to follow Him, Jesus was really asking him if he was willing to go on the road.
3. Following Jesus means leaving your comfort zone. What is your comfort zone? It may be a bad habit that you need to give up. It may be money. You think you can’t live without a certain amount of money coming in below the poverty level. It may be possessions. You may feel that without your upscale car, you just can’t function properly. Maybe you just don’t feel comfortable in certain neighborhoods or around certain people. There are people who tell you that you deserve the good life! Well, what makes one think that he/she deserves more than Jesus? The problem with many of us is that there is so much of the world in us that we aren’t comfortable with God and there is so much of God in us that we aren’t comfortable in the world!
III. FORGO PERSONAL PLANS - "Then He said to another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." (vv. 59-60).
1. A potential disciple is called out by Jesus - Unlike the first man, this man had not volunteered to follow Jesus. His personal plans were interrupted when Jesus sought him out, in order for him to become His disciple. He may have thought, Who? Me? We’ve all had that feeling. Maybe we’re half asleep or just doodling in Sunday School or church and all of a sudden we’re asked to answer a question - or what about when we are called on to pray?
Well, can’t you just imagine this guy? Jesus points His finger at him like Uncle Sam in a WWII recruiting poster, and says "I want you!" So what did this man do? He says, "Uh uh, Lord let me bury my dad first!" Now there is no indication here that the man’s father was even close to death. It is more likely that he was thinking the he just felt that he should stay and help his father until he did die.
2. What did Jesus mean when he said, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God"? My personal opinion is that He was speaking about being dead or alive, spiritually. You see, one who is spiritually dead can bury others who are spiritually dead. But only one who is spiritually alive can really preach the kingdom of God.!
3. Sometimes Jesus seeks people out and puts them on the spot! In Matthew 4:19, we see Jesus saying to some fishermen, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." If you are a genuine Christian, you were called by Jesus to follow Him! And you responded affirmatively! I was drawn to Him when I was only ten years old and I said "yes" and began to follow Him!
If you have never received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, He may well be calling you out of the crowd today!
IV. HAVE AN UNDIVIDED HEART - "And another also said, Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.But Jesus said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (vv. 61-62).
1. Another lame excuse - As Jesus continues down the road another also approaches Him. Perhaps this other person has heard the conversation of the first two. Nonetheless, he says, "I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house" (v. 61). "But" is the key word in this verse. Don’t you think God has heard the word "But" far too many times? Just think about how much this little three-letter word has cost the kingdom of God: "I would follow you but" "I would teach but" "I would use my musical gifts but" "I would be baptized but" "I would turn to Jesus for salvation but" "I would join the church but" Do you get the picture?
2. A difficult saying from Jesus - "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (v. 62). Jesus is simply saying here, If you want to be a disciple, don’t look back. This is a difficult saying, but the point is, it is difficult to follow Jesus when you are looking back at what you missed or thought you missed!
Illustration: Like some of you, I grew up on a farm where we raised hundreds of acres of corn and other crops. I learned very early that when plowing ground or cultivating crops, if you don’t keep your mind on your business and look well ahead of where you are, you end up plowing some pretty crooked furrows or destroying some plants. The rule of thumb was Don’t look back, and don’t look down. Just look forward down that row! It’s that way with being a disciple of Christ. Don’t look back, and don’t concentrate on present difficulties, but look ahead to where you are going. As Jesse Jackson said so many times, "Keep your eyes on the prize!"
Conclusion: Do you see it? If one is not freed from worldly things that is, their lure,their attraction,he is not fit for service in God’s kingdom. Jesus sets stringent requirements in order to have the best and most dedicated followers. He wants followers who, after counting the cost, are willing to serve Him whenever, wherever, and however, and for as long as He wants! Are we willing to do that?
