Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "luke9"
Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak – Part 1
He (i.e., Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he (i.e., Elijah) said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” [1 Kings 19:20]
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Judging by those three verses, we’ve found a contradiction in the Bible. On the one hand, it was okay for Elisha to turn back from following Elijah as the Lord’s chosen prophet-in-training. On the other hand, it was utterly inexcusable for someone else to want to turn back from following Jesus, in order to bid a fond farewell to his family. Hmm. What to make of this. Is it a contradiction or not?
This demonstrates the absolute necessity of reading the Scriptures in context, dear friends. Chapter and verse divisions have cultivated in us the habit of grabbing words and phrases and sentences out of context, as if they occurred in a vacuum. They don’t, and we shouldn’t interpret them as if they did.
In Elisha’s case he was at home, plowing the field with twelve pairs of oxen. This means that Elisha had eleven other men working under him, each person having a plow and a pair of oxen to pull the plow. Elisha was an affluent gent, you see.
Elijah came walking along and tossed his mantle on Elisha. The mantle symbolized the office, and Elijah’s office was that of the Lord’s prophet. In other words Elijah extended to Elisha the Lord’s call to be His prophet.
Elisha was plowing his field, remember. He wasn’t praying for the Lord to call him. He didn’t send his résumé to Elijah or the Lord, applying for the office. The call came to him out of the blue…in more ways than one.
Notwithstanding this context, Elisha straightway embraced the call. Then he requested of Elijah permission to tell his relatives that he had accepted the Lord’s call to be His prophet. This consisted of going back to the house with his pair of oxen and his plow, slaughtering the oxen, then cooking them on the wood from the plow.
Can a more vivid picture story be imagined to declare, “I will no longer be a farmer, dear family. I am leaving that occupation permanently. From now on I will be on the road ministering as the Lord’s prophet!” Elisha slaughtered his oxen and burned up his plow. Obviously he was not intending to farm again!
This is known as being the Lord’s witness, dear people. The Lord calls all Christians to be His witnesses. Elisha did a good thing. No wonder Elijah gave his blessing to this proposal.
Oh, but we’re out of time! We’ll continue the tale tomorrow. For now chew the cud on what we’ve studied today. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and move the knowledge down into your heart.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Judging by those three verses, we’ve found a contradiction in the Bible. On the one hand, it was okay for Elisha to turn back from following Elijah as the Lord’s chosen prophet-in-training. On the other hand, it was utterly inexcusable for someone else to want to turn back from following Jesus, in order to bid a fond farewell to his family. Hmm. What to make of this. Is it a contradiction or not?
This demonstrates the absolute necessity of reading the Scriptures in context, dear friends. Chapter and verse divisions have cultivated in us the habit of grabbing words and phrases and sentences out of context, as if they occurred in a vacuum. They don’t, and we shouldn’t interpret them as if they did.
In Elisha’s case he was at home, plowing the field with twelve pairs of oxen. This means that Elisha had eleven other men working under him, each person having a plow and a pair of oxen to pull the plow. Elisha was an affluent gent, you see.
Elijah came walking along and tossed his mantle on Elisha. The mantle symbolized the office, and Elijah’s office was that of the Lord’s prophet. In other words Elijah extended to Elisha the Lord’s call to be His prophet.
Elisha was plowing his field, remember. He wasn’t praying for the Lord to call him. He didn’t send his résumé to Elijah or the Lord, applying for the office. The call came to him out of the blue…in more ways than one.
Notwithstanding this context, Elisha straightway embraced the call. Then he requested of Elijah permission to tell his relatives that he had accepted the Lord’s call to be His prophet. This consisted of going back to the house with his pair of oxen and his plow, slaughtering the oxen, then cooking them on the wood from the plow.
Can a more vivid picture story be imagined to declare, “I will no longer be a farmer, dear family. I am leaving that occupation permanently. From now on I will be on the road ministering as the Lord’s prophet!” Elisha slaughtered his oxen and burned up his plow. Obviously he was not intending to farm again!
This is known as being the Lord’s witness, dear people. The Lord calls all Christians to be His witnesses. Elisha did a good thing. No wonder Elijah gave his blessing to this proposal.
Oh, but we’re out of time! We’ll continue the tale tomorrow. For now chew the cud on what we’ve studied today. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and move the knowledge down into your heart.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak – Part 2
He (i.e., Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he (i.e., Elijah) said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” [1 Kings 19:20]
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Yesterday we watched Elijah extend the call of the Lord to Elisha to be His prophet. Elisha accepted with relish. Then he went home and announced to the family that he would no longer live with them and be a farmer. To act out this truth—as the prophets were wont to do—he slaughtered his pair of oxen, cooked them over a fire which burned on the wood of his plow, then fed the family (and Elijah) a hearty meal before departing. This made Elisha the Lord’s witness to his family.
It was quite otherwise with the man who volunteered to follow Jesus. On his own unsolicited initiative, he claimed he wanted to be Jesus’ disciple and serve Him. But then he added a condition to keeping his word to the Lord. First he wanted to return home and tell his family good-bye.
Do you see the difference? This man wasn’t Elisha. He had ties to the world from which he wasn’t prepared to make a clean break. He should have kept his mouth shut and fulfilled his commitments at home. When he was truly ready to leave the world and its lifestyle, then he could request of Jesus permission to be His disciple.
Jesus wasn’t much impressed with this man. Ostensibly the man wanted the glory of “following Jesus”. He wanted the praise of other men for his selfless sacrifice. He wanted to appear holy, you see, but he didn’t really want to be holy. That would entail giving up his own dreams and plans, and laying down his life as a whole burnt offering in service to His Lord.
This is heavy stuff, my dear friends. Let’s hie off to the prayer closet a while and visit with Jesus now. Let Him reveal the truth of our hearts to us. Do we really want to walk with Jesus as His disciples? Are we prepared to leave all the things of the world which we cherish so dearly, in order to be His willing bond slaves? That is heavy…not some quixotic promise to be uttered by our lips.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Yesterday we watched Elijah extend the call of the Lord to Elisha to be His prophet. Elisha accepted with relish. Then he went home and announced to the family that he would no longer live with them and be a farmer. To act out this truth—as the prophets were wont to do—he slaughtered his pair of oxen, cooked them over a fire which burned on the wood of his plow, then fed the family (and Elijah) a hearty meal before departing. This made Elisha the Lord’s witness to his family.
It was quite otherwise with the man who volunteered to follow Jesus. On his own unsolicited initiative, he claimed he wanted to be Jesus’ disciple and serve Him. But then he added a condition to keeping his word to the Lord. First he wanted to return home and tell his family good-bye.
Do you see the difference? This man wasn’t Elisha. He had ties to the world from which he wasn’t prepared to make a clean break. He should have kept his mouth shut and fulfilled his commitments at home. When he was truly ready to leave the world and its lifestyle, then he could request of Jesus permission to be His disciple.
Jesus wasn’t much impressed with this man. Ostensibly the man wanted the glory of “following Jesus”. He wanted the praise of other men for his selfless sacrifice. He wanted to appear holy, you see, but he didn’t really want to be holy. That would entail giving up his own dreams and plans, and laying down his life as a whole burnt offering in service to His Lord.
This is heavy stuff, my dear friends. Let’s hie off to the prayer closet a while and visit with Jesus now. Let Him reveal the truth of our hearts to us. Do we really want to walk with Jesus as His disciples? Are we prepared to leave all the things of the world which we cherish so dearly, in order to be His willing bond slaves? That is heavy…not some quixotic promise to be uttered by our lips.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak – Part 1
He (i.e., Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he (i.e., Elijah) said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” [1 Kings 19:20]
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Judging by those three verses, we’ve found a contradiction in the Bible. On the one hand, it was okay for Elisha to turn back from following Elijah as the Lord’s chosen prophet-in-training. On the other hand, it was utterly inexcusable for someone else to want to turn back from following Jesus, in order to bid a fond farewell to his family. Hmm. What to make of this. Is it a contradiction or not?
This demonstrates the absolute necessity of reading the Scriptures in context, dear friends. Chapter and verse divisions have cultivated in us the habit of grabbing words and phrases and sentences out of context, as if they occurred in a vacuum. They don’t, and we shouldn’t interpret them as if they did.
In Elisha’s case he was at home, plowing the field with twelve pairs of oxen. This means that Elisha had eleven other men working under him, each person having a plow and a pair of oxen to pull the plow. Elisha was an affluent gent, you see.
Elijah came walking along and tossed his mantle on Elisha. The mantle symbolized the office, and Elijah’s office was that of the Lord’s prophet. In other words Elijah extended to Elisha the Lord’s call to be His prophet.
Elisha was plowing his field, remember. He wasn’t praying for the Lord to call him. He didn’t send his résumé to Elijah or the Lord, applying for the office. The call came to him out of the blue…in more ways than one.
Notwithstanding this context, Elisha straightway embraced the call. Then he requested of Elijah permission to tell his relatives that he had accepted the Lord’s call to be His prophet. This consisted of going back to the house with his pair of oxen and his plow, slaughtering the oxen, then cooking them on the wood from the plow.
Can a more vivid picture story be imagined to declare, “I will no longer be a farmer, dear family. I am leaving that occupation permanently. From now on I will be on the road ministering as the Lord’s prophet!” Elisha slaughtered his oxen and burned up his plow. Obviously he was not intending to farm again!
This is known as being the Lord’s witness, dear people. The Lord calls all Christians to be His witnesses. Elisha did a good thing. No wonder Elijah gave his blessing to this proposal.
Oh, but we’re out of time! We’ll continue the tale tomorrow. For now chew the cud on what we’ve studied today. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and move the knowledge down into your heart.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Judging by those three verses, we’ve found a contradiction in the Bible. On the one hand, it was okay for Elisha to turn back from following Elijah as the Lord’s chosen prophet-in-training. On the other hand, it was utterly inexcusable for someone else to want to turn back from following Jesus, in order to bid a fond farewell to his family. Hmm. What to make of this. Is it a contradiction or not?
This demonstrates the absolute necessity of reading the Scriptures in context, dear friends. Chapter and verse divisions have cultivated in us the habit of grabbing words and phrases and sentences out of context, as if they occurred in a vacuum. They don’t, and we shouldn’t interpret them as if they did.
In Elisha’s case he was at home, plowing the field with twelve pairs of oxen. This means that Elisha had eleven other men working under him, each person having a plow and a pair of oxen to pull the plow. Elisha was an affluent gent, you see.
Elijah came walking along and tossed his mantle on Elisha. The mantle symbolized the office, and Elijah’s office was that of the Lord’s prophet. In other words Elijah extended to Elisha the Lord’s call to be His prophet.
Elisha was plowing his field, remember. He wasn’t praying for the Lord to call him. He didn’t send his résumé to Elijah or the Lord, applying for the office. The call came to him out of the blue…in more ways than one.
Notwithstanding this context, Elisha straightway embraced the call. Then he requested of Elijah permission to tell his relatives that he had accepted the Lord’s call to be His prophet. This consisted of going back to the house with his pair of oxen and his plow, slaughtering the oxen, then cooking them on the wood from the plow.
Can a more vivid picture story be imagined to declare, “I will no longer be a farmer, dear family. I am leaving that occupation permanently. From now on I will be on the road ministering as the Lord’s prophet!” Elisha slaughtered his oxen and burned up his plow. Obviously he was not intending to farm again!
This is known as being the Lord’s witness, dear people. The Lord calls all Christians to be His witnesses. Elisha did a good thing. No wonder Elijah gave his blessing to this proposal.
Oh, but we’re out of time! We’ll continue the tale tomorrow. For now chew the cud on what we’ve studied today. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and move the knowledge down into your heart.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak – Part 2
He (i.e., Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he (i.e., Elijah) said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” [1 Kings 19:20]
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Yesterday we watched Elijah extend the call of the Lord to Elisha to be His prophet. Elisha accepted with relish. Then he went home and announced to the family that he would no longer live with them and be a farmer. To act out this truth—as the prophets were wont to do—he slaughtered his pair of oxen, cooked them over a fire which burned on the wood of his plow, then fed the family (and Elijah) a hearty meal before departing. This made Elisha the Lord’s witness to his family.
It was quite otherwise with the man who volunteered to follow Jesus. On his own unsolicited initiative, he claimed he wanted to be Jesus’ disciple and serve Him. But then he added a condition to keeping his word to the Lord. First he wanted to return home and tell his family good-bye.
Do you see the difference? This man wasn’t Elisha. He had ties to the world from which he wasn’t prepared to make a clean break. He should have kept his mouth shut and fulfilled his commitments at home. When he was truly ready to leave the world and its lifestyle, then he could request of Jesus permission to be His disciple.
Jesus wasn’t much impressed with this man. Ostensibly the man wanted the glory of “following Jesus”. He wanted the praise of other men for his selfless sacrifice. He wanted to appear holy, you see, but he didn’t really want to be holy. That would entail giving up his own dreams and plans, and laying down his life as a whole burnt offering in service to His Lord.
This is heavy stuff, my dear friends. Let’s hie off to the prayer closet a while and visit with Jesus now. Let Him reveal the truth of our hearts to us. Do we really want to walk with Jesus as His disciples? Are we prepared to leave all the things of the world which we cherish so dearly, in order to be His willing bond slaves? That is heavy…not some quixotic promise to be uttered by our lips.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Yesterday we watched Elijah extend the call of the Lord to Elisha to be His prophet. Elisha accepted with relish. Then he went home and announced to the family that he would no longer live with them and be a farmer. To act out this truth—as the prophets were wont to do—he slaughtered his pair of oxen, cooked them over a fire which burned on the wood of his plow, then fed the family (and Elijah) a hearty meal before departing. This made Elisha the Lord’s witness to his family.
It was quite otherwise with the man who volunteered to follow Jesus. On his own unsolicited initiative, he claimed he wanted to be Jesus’ disciple and serve Him. But then he added a condition to keeping his word to the Lord. First he wanted to return home and tell his family good-bye.
Do you see the difference? This man wasn’t Elisha. He had ties to the world from which he wasn’t prepared to make a clean break. He should have kept his mouth shut and fulfilled his commitments at home. When he was truly ready to leave the world and its lifestyle, then he could request of Jesus permission to be His disciple.
Jesus wasn’t much impressed with this man. Ostensibly the man wanted the glory of “following Jesus”. He wanted the praise of other men for his selfless sacrifice. He wanted to appear holy, you see, but he didn’t really want to be holy. That would entail giving up his own dreams and plans, and laying down his life as a whole burnt offering in service to His Lord.
This is heavy stuff, my dear friends. Let’s hie off to the prayer closet a while and visit with Jesus now. Let Him reveal the truth of our hearts to us. Do we really want to walk with Jesus as His disciples? Are we prepared to leave all the things of the world which we cherish so dearly, in order to be His willing bond slaves? That is heavy…not some quixotic promise to be uttered by our lips.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak – Part 1
He (i.e., Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he (i.e., Elijah) said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” [1 Kings 19:20]
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Judging by those three verses, we’ve found a contradiction in the Bible. On the one hand, it was okay for Elisha to turn back from following Elijah as the Lord’s chosen prophet-in-training. On the other hand, it was utterly inexcusable for someone else to want to turn back from following Jesus, in order to bid a fond farewell to his family. Hmm. What to make of this. Is it a contradiction or not?
This demonstrates the absolute necessity of reading the Scriptures in context, dear friends. Chapter and verse divisions have cultivated in us the habit of grabbing words and phrases and sentences out of context, as if they occurred in a vacuum. They don’t, and we shouldn’t interpret them as if they did.
In Elisha’s case he was at home, plowing the field with twelve pairs of oxen. This means that Elisha had eleven other men working under him, each person having a plow and a pair of oxen to pull the plow. Elisha was an affluent gent, you see.
Elijah came walking along and tossed his mantle on Elisha. The mantle symbolized the office, and Elijah’s office was that of the Lord’s prophet. In other words Elijah extended to Elisha the Lord’s call to be His prophet.
Elisha was plowing his field, remember. He wasn’t praying for the Lord to call him. He didn’t send his résumé to Elijah or the Lord, applying for the office. The call came to him out of the blue…in more ways than one.
Notwithstanding this context, Elisha straightway embraced the call. Then he requested of Elijah permission to tell his relatives that he had accepted the Lord’s call to be His prophet. This consisted of going back to the house with his pair of oxen and his plow, slaughtering the oxen, then cooking them on the wood from the plow.
Can a more vivid picture story be imagined to declare, “I will no longer be a farmer, dear family. I am leaving that occupation permanently. From now on I will be on the road ministering as the Lord’s prophet!” Elisha slaughtered his oxen and burned up his plow. Obviously he was not intending to farm again!
This is known as being the Lord’s witness, dear people. The Lord calls all Christians to be His witnesses. Elisha did a good thing. No wonder Elijah gave his blessing to this proposal.
Oh, but we’re out of time! We’ll continue the tale tomorrow. For now chew the cud on what we’ve studied today. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and move the knowledge down into your heart.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Judging by those three verses, we’ve found a contradiction in the Bible. On the one hand, it was okay for Elisha to turn back from following Elijah as the Lord’s chosen prophet-in-training. On the other hand, it was utterly inexcusable for someone else to want to turn back from following Jesus, in order to bid a fond farewell to his family. Hmm. What to make of this. Is it a contradiction or not?
This demonstrates the absolute necessity of reading the Scriptures in context, dear friends. Chapter and verse divisions have cultivated in us the habit of grabbing words and phrases and sentences out of context, as if they occurred in a vacuum. They don’t, and we shouldn’t interpret them as if they did.
In Elisha’s case he was at home, plowing the field with twelve pairs of oxen. This means that Elisha had eleven other men working under him, each person having a plow and a pair of oxen to pull the plow. Elisha was an affluent gent, you see.
Elijah came walking along and tossed his mantle on Elisha. The mantle symbolized the office, and Elijah’s office was that of the Lord’s prophet. In other words Elijah extended to Elisha the Lord’s call to be His prophet.
Elisha was plowing his field, remember. He wasn’t praying for the Lord to call him. He didn’t send his résumé to Elijah or the Lord, applying for the office. The call came to him out of the blue…in more ways than one.
Notwithstanding this context, Elisha straightway embraced the call. Then he requested of Elijah permission to tell his relatives that he had accepted the Lord’s call to be His prophet. This consisted of going back to the house with his pair of oxen and his plow, slaughtering the oxen, then cooking them on the wood from the plow.
Can a more vivid picture story be imagined to declare, “I will no longer be a farmer, dear family. I am leaving that occupation permanently. From now on I will be on the road ministering as the Lord’s prophet!” Elisha slaughtered his oxen and burned up his plow. Obviously he was not intending to farm again!
This is known as being the Lord’s witness, dear people. The Lord calls all Christians to be His witnesses. Elisha did a good thing. No wonder Elijah gave his blessing to this proposal.
Oh, but we’re out of time! We’ll continue the tale tomorrow. For now chew the cud on what we’ve studied today. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and move the knowledge down into your heart.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak – Part 2
He (i.e., Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he (i.e., Elijah) said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” [1 Kings 19:20]
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Yesterday we watched Elijah extend the call of the Lord to Elisha to be His prophet. Elisha accepted with relish. Then he went home and announced to the family that he would no longer live with them and be a farmer. To act out this truth—as the prophets were wont to do—he slaughtered his pair of oxen, cooked them over a fire which burned on the wood of his plow, then fed the family (and Elijah) a hearty meal before departing. This made Elisha the Lord’s witness to his family.
It was quite otherwise with the man who volunteered to follow Jesus. On his own unsolicited initiative, he claimed he wanted to be Jesus’ disciple and serve Him. But then he added a condition to keeping his word to the Lord. First he wanted to return home and tell his family good-bye.
Do you see the difference? This man wasn’t Elisha. He had ties to the world from which he wasn’t prepared to make a clean break. He should have kept his mouth shut and fulfilled his commitments at home. When he was truly ready to leave the world and its lifestyle, then he could request of Jesus permission to be His disciple.
Jesus wasn’t much impressed with this man. Ostensibly the man wanted the glory of “following Jesus”. He wanted the praise of other men for his selfless sacrifice. He wanted to appear holy, you see, but he didn’t really want to be holy. That would entail giving up his own dreams and plans, and laying down his life as a whole burnt offering in service to His Lord.
This is heavy stuff, my dear friends. Let’s hie off to the prayer closet a while and visit with Jesus now. Let Him reveal the truth of our hearts to us. Do we really want to walk with Jesus as His disciples? Are we prepared to leave all the things of the world which we cherish so dearly, in order to be His willing bond slaves? That is heavy…not some quixotic promise to be uttered by our lips.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:61-62]
Yesterday we watched Elijah extend the call of the Lord to Elisha to be His prophet. Elisha accepted with relish. Then he went home and announced to the family that he would no longer live with them and be a farmer. To act out this truth—as the prophets were wont to do—he slaughtered his pair of oxen, cooked them over a fire which burned on the wood of his plow, then fed the family (and Elijah) a hearty meal before departing. This made Elisha the Lord’s witness to his family.
It was quite otherwise with the man who volunteered to follow Jesus. On his own unsolicited initiative, he claimed he wanted to be Jesus’ disciple and serve Him. But then he added a condition to keeping his word to the Lord. First he wanted to return home and tell his family good-bye.
Do you see the difference? This man wasn’t Elisha. He had ties to the world from which he wasn’t prepared to make a clean break. He should have kept his mouth shut and fulfilled his commitments at home. When he was truly ready to leave the world and its lifestyle, then he could request of Jesus permission to be His disciple.
Jesus wasn’t much impressed with this man. Ostensibly the man wanted the glory of “following Jesus”. He wanted the praise of other men for his selfless sacrifice. He wanted to appear holy, you see, but he didn’t really want to be holy. That would entail giving up his own dreams and plans, and laying down his life as a whole burnt offering in service to His Lord.
This is heavy stuff, my dear friends. Let’s hie off to the prayer closet a while and visit with Jesus now. Let Him reveal the truth of our hearts to us. Do we really want to walk with Jesus as His disciples? Are we prepared to leave all the things of the world which we cherish so dearly, in order to be His willing bond slaves? That is heavy…not some quixotic promise to be uttered by our lips.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
