Those Worthy of the Kingdom of God (Luke 9 : 57 – 62)

Those Worthy of the Kingdom of God (Luke 9 : 57 – 62)

 

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

 

1. “Heaven” and the “Kingdom of God” are technically referring to different things. “Heaven” has roads of gold, twelve gates made of pearl, a river of life that flows like crystals, and twelve fruit orchards beside rivers. There is no sickness, sin, death or darkness. It is a place where Christians can serve and praise God and live for eternity.

 

2. The “Kingdom of God” covers a wider range and refers to any place where God is King, where He is served, and where He reigns. Jesus says in Luke 17:20-21, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

 

God’s Kingdom can mean any place where He is worshipped, served, and where He reigns. A family can be God’s Kingdom; our own hearts can become His Kingdom.

 

3. In today’s scripture, Jesus says, “Follow me,” meaning not just anyone can become a citizen of God’s Kingdom. only those who follow Jesus are worthy of such citizenship. If Jesus tells someone, “Follow me” but that person has excuses and reasons for why they can’t follow him just now, they cannot become part of His Kingdom.

 

A) Following Jesus

1. In today’s scripture, a man comes to Jesus and volunteers to follow him wherever he goes. In Matthew 8:19, we are told this man was a teacher of the law. This man doesn’t just say he’ll follow Jesus; he literally tells him he will follow Jesus wherever Jesus goes.

 

To this Jesus replies (verse 58), “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He tells the man this so he understands that following Jesus is neither safe nor comfortable. It is a rewarding but incredibly harsh and tiring path.

 

Jesus ensures the man knows that following Jesus is not like walking a path with rose bushes, but a path of thorns, pain, obstacles, and even death. Upon hearing this, we are told that the teacher of law turns back and changes his mind about following Jesus.

 

2. In the following verse, Jesus says to a different man (who was just minding his own business and did not eagerly volunteer like the teacher), “Follow me.” If the man had said “Yes, I will” without hesitation like Peter or John had, this man would also have become a great disciple of Jesus with great treasures in Heaven.

 

But instead this man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” He didn’t reject Jesus’ calling, but his response was an excuse and showed his uncertainty. Of course burying your parents is necessary and an obligation. Regardless, the man’s response was not one suited for a true follower of Christ.

 

3. To the man’s answer Jesus says, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” This answer can easily be misunderstood and misinterpreted to say it is okay to turn away from any and all worldly responsibilities for the sake of following the Lord.

 

What Jesus meant, however, was that proclaiming the Word and Kingdom of God is the more urgent need and that it should be take priority over worldly duties, not that you should turn away from the world completely. Second, he means it to inform the man that this opportunity (to follow Jesus) will not come again.

 

Third, Jesus’ reply tells the man that his father died without salvation and his family also will not believe in Jesus, so their souls are already dead. Hence the “dead”, the dead souls of his living family, should bury their own dead, the physically and spiritually dead father.

 

4. The University of Oxford invited one bright student in Africa to come study on a full scholarship. What a wonderful and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him! The student replied to Oxford, “I am a faithful and obedient son to my parents. I will go to Oxford after I have arranged and held their funeral.”

 

The University thought that his parents had recently died, or were on the verge of death, and asked the young man how old his parents were. The young man informed them that his parents were just over 40 and in good health.

 

His parents still had most of their lives ahead of them, and were far from dying. Yet the student tells the University that he would go after his parents of died. His response was no different than him simply saying, “No.”

 

B) Jesus Calls Us to Follow Him Today

1. Even to this day Jesus calls on countless people to follow him. But obedience is not easy. When he calls you can’t tell him, “Tomorrow Jesus!” or “Give me a few days to prepare.” When he calls, you reply, “Yes I will,” without hesitation. You follow him just as you are regardless of your sins or your readiness.

 

People know of the good that comes when deciding to follow Jesus. Even non-believers get the general idea that believing in Jesus will grant you salvation and entrance to Heaven. But when it comes to following Jesus, there are many conditions we place forth.

 

I’m still young, so I’ll follow him after I enjoy the world a little more. I have a wife and children so I need to focus on making money for their futures so I’ll follow him after things are financially stable. I have my parents to think about so I’ll follow him after I can take care of them and they’ve passed on.

 

I have my whole life ahead of me, so it won’t be too late to follow him later on in my life when I’m much older and near death. But these people are not suitable or worthy to enter the Kingdom of God.

 

2. Jesus tells yet another man to follow him. This man replies, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” This man wanted to say goodbye to his family first because he was not sure when he would see them again. He was probably a family man who cared and loved his family very much.

 

However, his response was not one that Jesus sought because matters of one’s spirit are not matters that need to be discussed with family. Your spirit is yours and yours only; only you can save or harm it. Believing in Jesus, accepting his calling, and working for God’s Kingdom are all things that you must decide on your own.

 

There are those who say they can’t believe in Jesus because their parents won’t allow it. For these people, their parents have taken priority over God, which makes them unworthy of God’s Kingdom.

 

If you look at the greater decision and its permanent consequences (eternal heaven or eternal hell? Salvation or judgment?) it doesn’t make sense and almost seems foolish to let your family or friends decide it for you. Would you choose eternal hell because your parents won’t let you believe in Jesus?

 

To these kinds of people Jesus says, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” In other words, you can’t fully commit if your heart is in two different places.

 

3. In 1519, there was a famous Spanish general named Herman Cortes. Cortes was the one who brought vanilla and sunflowers to Europe and he played a large part in the construction of the Suez Canal. Cortes’ army had fought the Incas (who worshipped sun-gods) but he was greatly outnumbered.

 

On top of that, the Spanish armies had lost morale and demanded to go home. In the end, Cortes and few of his faithful soldiers set all their ships on fire so no one could leave.

With no way back home, Cortes proclaimed to his army, “We have no way back! There are only two choices: to conquer this land or die on it.” The only way the soldiers could get back home was to win the fight and then safely build new ships. And so, the soldiers used all their strength and might for the battle and became victorious.

 

4. There is an old saying in China: “A dog will jump over a wall if it is desperate.” In other words, great and amazing things can happen in matters of life and death. Even a mouse will dare to attack a cat when cornered. Are we not being too complacent and lackadaisical in following Jesus? Take a moment to truly think about this.

 

5. The people who are truly “worthy of the Kingdom of God” are those who are willing to serve and follow the Lord with their lives at the drop of a hat. They make no excuses and nothing gets in their way.

 

When Jesus told Peter and John to follow him they had been fishing and had in fact caught quite a lot of fish. But at Jesus’ calling they left their fish, boats, and everything they had and followed him immediately on the spot (Luke 5:11). When he called on the tax collector Levi, he too dropped everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:28).

 

6. In Revelation, Jesus tells us to be either hot or cold; it is worse to be lukewarm than to be cold. In other words, you need to believe with a fire in your heart or not believe it at all. Don’t be lukewarm in your faith; you can’t say you believe and serve both the Lord and the world.

Do you have a burning love the God? Have you experienced His awesome love? Is Jesus the first priority in your life? How are you serving him? Is the Lord calling you? Are you busy making excuses?

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1. Even right now Jesus as calling on each and every one of you to follow him. What is your answer? Will you make excuses and reject him? Or will you leave everything behind and follow him instantly without hesitation?

2. “Follow me” is telling us to become someone worthy of the Kingdom of God. If Jesus or the Holy Spirit calls on you, but your first response is hesitation or an excuse, you cannot be considered worthy.

3. What will you choose? I sincerely pray and hope that each and every one of you here today accept his calling without question and become children worthy of his Kingdom. Let us all accept the Lord’s calling and serve Him joyfully and enter the gates of Heaven with great blessings and eternal rewards.

                           030516 Ik sun, Ahn