“John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.” As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another village. As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 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.” He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.””
Luke 9:49-62 NLT
Jesus had to continually clarify what it meant to follow Him. He was fine with others using His name, He didn’t rain fire down on those who rejected Him, and He called for the highest commitment. The commitment verses are some of the hardest for people to understand. Jesus wants us to care for our families, but He doesn’t want anything to be higher than our commitment to Him. Too often people use their family as an excuse, keeping themselves from a life of full devotion and radical obedience to the King.
One of the reasons it is important to read the Gospels, over and over, is that we are confronted with the real Jesus. We constantly come up with false versions of Him in our hearts. Make the choice to follow the real Jesus, revealed in Scripture, not your own personal version of Christ. Continually go back to the Gospels, obey what God shows you, and have godly mentors around you. Following the real Jesus will transform every area of your life.
What new thing have you learned about Jesus as you have gone through the Gospel of Luke? In what area of your life is Jesus asking for greater commitment?
