Sermon: Conversations on the way to Jerusalem

Date Preached: Sunday July 1st 2007

Bible Reference: Luke Chapter 9, verses 51-62

Jesus set his face – “like a flint”, one version tells us – to go to Jerusalem – where he’s going to facing torture and execution on a Roman cross. The cost he’s prepared to pay to get us back into a relationship with God. And you might not have considered this in the same way before – but I wonder if you’ve ever given much though to the cost of following someone like this? Let’s have a quick look at what’s involved in being an apprentice of Jesus Christ.

Because Luke tells us about THREE people whom Jesus met as he travelled the road to Jerusalem along with his disciples. Two of them declared that they wanted to follow Jesus - the third was one whom Jesus actually SUMMONED to follow him.

What immediately strikes us is the way Jesus handles these inquirers (and this is probably Luke’s reason for recording the details of the conversations). If you think about it, MOST leaders with a cause are busy trying to recruit as MANY people as they possibly can. Most preachers are busy trying to get as many members for their church as they possibly can (and most have good intentions). I love seeing new people come myself as you know! It’s natural. It’s what we expect to see. But Jesus is radically different in his approach. He seems to spend a great deal of his time trying to actually DISSUADE people from following after Him - or at least that’s what it looks like.

The advice given by an ageing cleric to his junior is interesting.  The old man said to him, “Son, always endeavour to keep your church as SMALL as you can!” That’s strange talk isn’t it?! And that was coming from a man who himself was the minister of quite a large congregation. But what he meant was, preach the truth of the Gospel, and the demands of following Jesus, SO CLEARLY that ONLY those who have counted the cost and are seriously ready to give up everything for Christ will join themselves to you.

Sure we’d love it if as many people as possible come to Christ – but just getting a CROWD?? Don’t we want to see people turning to Christ with their whole beings - becoming TRUE ‘sold-out’ disciples of Jesus – ‘full-on as they say these days?

So, it’s interesting to read how Jesus deals with those who expressed a desire to follow him; He’s not really discouraging them – but he certainly wants them to think it through first . . . to count the cost involved . . . so that once they DO follow Him they’ll never turn back.

We’re going to have a quick look at these three people whom Jesus confronts with his demands. As I say, I wonder have you seriously thought that there is a cost to being a Christian. 

From Jesus' first conversation we learn that:

1. THE FOLLOWER OF JESUS HAS NO EARTHLY SECURITY.
”I will follow you wherever you go” – and Jesus says to him – but the Son of Man doesn’t have anywhere to lay his head
Quite a bold statement this one, isn’t it?! “I will follow you WHEREVER you go!” Can we say this without any idea of where this Jesus may be heading . . . or about what may be involved in the journey?!
Jesus replies that to follow Him “WHEREVER he’s going” isn’t going to be an easy road. We get the sense here that He’s not one of these “high-flying” Rabbis who jets from village to village, staying in the best hotels, and collecting nice big offerings from the crowds that come to hear them.
When Jesus stepped down from his kingly throne to come to the earth and live and die for us, he left behind all that he had; exchanging royal wealth for poverty - out of a palace into a cattle shed – exchanging his royal privileges to become a servant.

What an incredible irony this is . . . the King of glory - heir apparent to the throne of the Universe - doesn’t even have a place to call “home”. He has no earthly security. He was even loaned accommodation by those who supported his ministry. He had to borrow a coin to tell a story. He used someone else’s donkey to ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday He was even buried in a borrowed tomb! (although he didn’t need it for long) HE had NOTHING – not earthly possessions anyway.
And those who are serious about following him must be prepared for the same road. Now we need to be clear – we all need security – but it’s where we look to find it that’s important? Jesus is making it clear that this isn’t about possessions, or money, or homes – it’s about the security of God’s faithfulness and love – it’s about fullness of life beyond all the stuff we tend to acquire that NOTHING can take away! Maximum security is to be in God’s hands, not the hands of the insurance company. Following Jesus may well cost us everything! And for those living in hostile cultures this is an everyday reality. So we need to COUNT THE COST! – and not rely on earthly things for our security.

Then we read of a second person where it’s Jesus this time doing the calling. And from this second conversation we learn that
2. THE FOLLOWER OF JESUS HAS NO EARTHLY TIES.

It’s an encounter that’s quite shocking if we really understand it (have a look) Jesus CALLS this man to be his disciple, but he begs leave to go and bury his father first. Doesn’t this seem like a reasonable request?! In ancient Jewish culture the obligation to bury one’s father was regarded by many Jews as the most holy and binding duty a son could perform. But JESUS says “Let the dead bury their own dead: I’ve called you to let people know something completely new is happening – the Kingdom’s here!” So even this sacred task is secondary to the call to follow Jesus and announce God’s Kingdom. In the context this would have been seen as outrageous in its demands. In other words, the claims of this Kingdom come before ANYTHING and ANYONE else. Doesn’t Jesus say elsewhere that, “those who love their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And those who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me”. Of course he’s not calling for us to dishonour parents, or shirk our family responsibilities – what he’s saying is that if we’re serious about all this, he comes first. Again there are Christians in hostile cultures they have had to lose their family to follow Christ.

So the follower of Jesus has no ultimate earthly ties? Whoa! This is tough – but Jesus is saying, whatever it is “LEAVE IT BEHIND . . . Follow Me!” I’ve heard a lot of people – including myself say “I’ll follow Jesus later on. I’ve got other more important things to attend to right now: there’s my career, my education, my girlfriend or boyfriend. I’ve got to go and make enough money for my family first. Now wouldn’t God want me to be responsible like that?!” Well here’s the rub – we don’t get to negotiate the terms when God calls – believe me!!

No earthly security; no earthly ties – (this is not Anglicanism as we know it!!) And then finally, we come to Jesus’s third conversation – and from this one we learn that:

3. THE FOLLOWER OF JESUS HAS NO EARTHLY DISTRACTIONS either.
Another said: I’ll follow you Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home
Now then come on Jesus – surely this is a reasonable request? Would you deny a soldier going to war one last chance to bid his loved ones farewell?! But again, Jesus clearly spells out the cost of following him. Listen YOU’VE already PICKED UP THE PLOUGH - if you put it down now because of your hankering after your family back home, you’re not fit for the Kingdom of God!” What is Jesus saying? Well basically, “DON’T LOOK BACK!” The challenge is to move forward – and the call to do this is loud and clear. We don’t know much about working the land today – (working party?!!) We don’t get appreciate what happens if we’re trying to plough a straight furrow and then look back to see how we did. It’s quite a comical picture really, because even if we’ve done well so far – and look behind us to something reasonable straight, the very act of looking back is going to make the next bit crooked (!). I’m sure there’s an application there as we move forward together
 
If we’re going to follow Jesus, there’s got to be no going back – which is probably another reason why we count the cost FIRST!
JOHN STOTT had some interesting comments on this bit. He wrote this:

“The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict, half-built buildings - the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people still ignore Christ’s warning and undertake to follow him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of Christendom today, so-called ‘nominal Christianity’. In countries to which Christian civilization has spread, large numbers of people have covered themselves with a decent, but thin, veneer of Christianity. They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved; enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable. Their religion is a great, soft cushion. It protects them from the hard unpleasantness of life, while changing its place and shape to suit their conveniences. No wonder the cynics speak of hypocrites in the church and dismiss religion as escapism.”

Lynne (Sub-Warden) and I were in Brecon last Saturday talking about the difficulties of leading our churches into growth – and I got talking to someone from a rural parish church who was beginning to hear Jesus’ call to get fully committed as a Christian. She recounted the story of a well-meaning and faithful church goer who quietly put her hand on hers and said –“Don’t get involved dear” – like this was wise advice.” We’ve all heard it - Let the others get on with it; let someone else do it.

This was difficult to prepare, because Jesus’ words are pretty strong, aren’t they?! Here’s what it’ll cost you to follow Jesus. In short, it’s going to mean EVERYTHING. And not holding nothing back, because this is the

Jesus said to the first person: “COUNT THE COST”.

He said to the second one: “LEAVE IT BEHIND”.

And to the third: “DON’T LOOK BACK”.
What’s He saying to YOU & ME this morning?! And what are we going to do in response?