Daily Devotion: September 24th 2021

Friday September 24th

Read: Luke 9:57-62

Learn: In this passage we have three examples of men who want to follow Jesus. The first man spontaneously said to Jesus “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus traveled to many towns performing miracles and drawing large crowds. It was probably common for people to express a desire to join him in His travels. This man would have seen the crowds and thought perhaps this life of following Jesus was glamorous. Jesus corrects his thinking by telling him that He has nowhere to lay his head. Jesus was not technically homeless, but He was on the road most of the time. To follow Him meant to give up the comforts of home.

The second man is told by Jesus, “Follow me” but replies that he must go home and bury his father first. It is unlikely that this man’s father had just died. Instead, it is believed this man is saying, “let me go back home to live with my father until he dies.” In the Jewish culture there was great responsibility, especially on the firstborn, to fulfill social and religious duties concerning the death of a parent. So, this man was telling Jesus “I have other things to do first, it may be a while.” Jesus corrects his thinking and declares what is truly important. Jesus was not trying to be rude or insensitive here but was simply making the point of what was truly the most important.

The third man said he would follow Jesus but told Jesus he needed to say goodbye to his family and friends first. This sounds reasonable to most people, but Jesus again is firm with the man, pointing out what is most important, using the plow as an object lesson. When one plowed a field at this time, they could not afford to get distracted. Someone had to hold the handle of the plow and guide it. Only by looking straight ahead and keeping the plow on course could anyone properly plow a field. Jesus is telling the man, the time is now, don’t get distracted, don’t look back. Follow me now.

So often we act like one of these three. We have an “if this then that” attitude. We say yes Lord I will follow you, but first this has to happen, then that can happen. Jesus is saying follow me now. There is nothing more important. Your home, your family, your friends, nothing in your life up to this point is more important than following Jesus now.

Reflect: Do you have an “if this then that” attitude in your life? Is there something or someone that you have been allowing to hold you back from doing what God is telling you to do? What if you were to let go of everything and simply follow Jesus right now?

Pray: God, give me the right attitude and heart toward you. Help me to understand that I don’t need anything else to happen before I start following you completely. I give my entire life to you right now, today. Do with it what you will. In Jesus name, Amen.