Bible Passage: Luke 9:51-62
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: June 26, 2022

Bulletin June 26, 2022

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

The disciples could hardly believe their eyes.  Not too long ago Jesus had explained to them that he was going to go to Jerusalem where he would give his life as a ransom for us all.  And now the time has come to go to Jerusalem, and Jesus is out front, leading the way!  The Greek text literally says that Jesus “set his face” to go to Jerusalem.  It is as if Jesus turned his face in the direction of Jerusalem and wouldn’t take his eyes off of it.  Like a horse with blinders on, all Jesus saw was Jerusalem.  Mark puts it this way in his Gospel:  Jesus was leading them.  The disciples were amazed. (Mark 10:32)

So there is Jesus.  Out front.  On his way to rejection and torture and death.  Who’s in?  Who’s coming along?  Jesus is Heading to Jerusalem…Who wants to Follow?

 James and John, those brothers, are following.  And they get a little fired up on the way.  You see, Jesus and his followers are traveling south to Jerusalem from Galilee in the north.  Normally, travelers from Galilee would cut over to the east side of the Jordan River to avoid traveling through the region of Samaria.  Jews and Samaritans hated each other.  But the route Jesus takes is right through Samaria!

Jesus sends some followers to go to the next village down the road to book a hotel room for the night.  But the Samaritans refuse to give Jesus a room!  They don’t like that he is just passing through their region on his way to Jerusalem.  They didn’t like that Jesus was passing by Mt. Gerazim, their place of worship, to go to the Temple in Jerusalem.  Their attitude was, “On your way to Jerusalem?  You can just keep walking!”  James and John are mad!

Lord, do you want us to call down fire to consume them? (v. 54)   No one was going to get away with treating their Jesus like that!  Reducing that village to a smoldering pile of carbon would be a fitting end for them, and a powerful deterrent for any others who would so shamefully treat Jesus!

But notice Jesus’ answer:  You do not know what kind of a spirit is influencing you.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s souls, but to save them. (v. 55-56)  James and John were not following in the spirit of Jesus.  Jesus did not come to terrorize, and vaporize, and carbonize, his enemies.  He came to save them.

That’s lesson #1 today about following Jesus.  Can we follow in the spirit of Christ who came to seek and save what was lost?  Can we see people with the eyes of Jesus?  I wonder if we sometimes view the world the way James and John viewed the Samaritan village.  We see shameful treatment of Jesus and rejection.  We perhaps long for a little fire from heaven on the infidels!  There is a religion on this planet that believes it their duty to kill infidels.  That is not the spirit of Christ.  “Father, convert them,” is a far better prayer than, “Father, carbonize them.”

As Jesus leads the way, another man steps up and blurts, I will follow you wherever you go. (v. 57)  That sounds great!  But there is something about what this man says that causes Jesus to “tap the brakes.”  Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. (v. 58)

Had the man simply been swept along in the impulse of the moment?  Was it just religious enthusiasm?  Did he really understand what “wherever” means when following Jesus?  “Wherever” doesn’t mean a big palace and a nice, easy life.  Birds have nests and foxes have caves, but Jesus didn’t have a big house with an awesome “man cave.”  “Wherever” with Jesus is Jerusalem, and a cross, and a tomb.  “Wherever” with Jesus might mean the path of persecution.  The follower of Christ will experience estrangement from the world.  We learn a new anthem, “I’m but a stranger here; heaven is my home.”

Charles Finney is known as the father of American revivalism and the man credited with inventing the thing called “the altar call.”  The “altar call” is that time when people are urged to come forward and give their lives to Jesus.  Toward the end of his life, Finney admitted “altar calls” didn’t work!  In the frenzy of the moment people came forward, but many had not really become followers of Christ.  Following Christ is not an “emotional moment,” but a commitment.

Jesus said to another man, Follow me (v. 59).  This man replied, First let me go and bury my father. (v. 59)    Here is a dutiful son!  It is his duty to handle dad’s funeral.  That is not a bad thing.  But Jesus says there is even higher duty, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. (v. 60)  The spiritually dead, unbelievers, can handle funerals; there is a “duty” only the follower of Christ can perform: proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom!

Follower of Christ, you are called to “higher duty.”  There are things in this world the spiritually dead can handle.  The dead can work the Sunday morning shift and run “tuba camp” for the kids on Sunday morning.  You, follower of Christ, are called to higher duty.  You need Word and Sacrament regularly!  Only you can make sure your children are hearing and learning God’s Word at home and in church.  Only you can witness to the lost.  You are following the Christ!

Finally, there is the person who comes to Jesus and also says, I will follow you (v. 61), but then adds …but first let me say goodbye to those at my home. (v. 61)  Again, not a sinful thing to want to do!  But it gives Jesus occasion to speak of another hindrance to following.  He speaks of trying to plow a field while looking backwards.  You can’t do it!  Your rows and fields will be a mess!  You can’t follow Jesus with your head, and heart, on a swivel, “Jesus, family, Jesus, family…”  It is fine, even God’s holy will, that you love your family!  Just love Jesus more.

So there is Jesus out front, going to Jerusalem!  It is this very truth that makes us want to follow him!  He knew what was in front of him!  He saw what was in front of him.  He saw the thorns, the pain, the shame, the blood, the cross.  And he set his face and walked toward it all…to save you.  To rescue you from an eternity in hell!  This is a Savior we can love!  This is a Savior we can serve!  This is a Savior we will follow!

Amen.