| |
The Message. Jesus' message is "follow Me" and do not let the things of this world get in the way. We are too easily distracted by the urgent things of this life, our physical comforts, and our material desires. There is an old story about a farmer's son who wanted to plow his father's field. The father eventually agreed to let him try one day and told his son to look straight ahead at a far away object while he was plowing. This would result in straight rows in the earth. His son said he understood and so the father left. After awhile the farmer came back to see how his son was doing only to find that the rows were not straight but curved and crooked. So he walked out to his son and asked what had happened. The farmer eventually discovered that his son kept looking at a cow in the field. His eyes were distracted. This is a picture of our relationship with Jesus. True followers of Jesus constantly, continually fix their eyes on Him and keep them there through the urgent, the tragic, and in spite of the desire for wealth, comforts and acceptance in this life. Paul, the apostle, illustrates the message with this comment about a Christian who was working with him.
| |
. . . for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica (NASB) 2 Timothy 4:10 |
There is also another danger among Christians of fixing our eyes on our past failings. God encourages us to forget our past and press on (Phili. 3:13). Jesus wants us to move forward in total commitment to Him.
Conclusion: Yes, Jesus is talking about our fitness to serve Him. It is a heart decision that counts. Failure to follow Jesus with a totally committed heart has cost many believers spiritual blessings and opportunities for greater ministry. But it is never too late to follow Jesus. Paul had these words about His own desire to follow Jesus,
| |
. . . one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (NASB) Philippians 3:13-14 |
We need to ask ourselves, "Am I looking back?" "Am I really committed to Jesus?" Jesus wants both your heart (Matt. 22:37-39) and your action (James 2:14-26). It is easy to conclude that Jesus just wants our activity. Most say Jesus wants us to spend time in prayer, study of the Word and attending church. We forget that He wants our confession of sins (1 John 1:9) and He wants us to be filled with His Spirit (Eph. 5:17-18). But the major point we miss is that Jesus wants both - your heart and a commitment that results in action and service to Him! |
|
