Do not look back
Today's focusJesus meets would-be followers with honest words about the cost; discipleship cannot be delayed or half-hearted.
Read
57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Reflection
As you journey with Jesus, He offers a clear and honest picture of what it means to follow Him. He does not hide the difficulty of the road. When one traveler promises to go "whithersoever thou goest," Jesus reminds him that even "foxes have holes" and "birds of the air have nests," yet He Himself has "not where to lay his head." To follow Jesus is to choose a path of radical dependence, where earthly comforts and security are no longer the priority.
Jesus also speaks to the urgency of His call. When potential followers ask to first bury a father or bid farewell to those at home, He points them toward the kingdom of God. These requests seem reasonable, yet Jesus emphasizes that the work of the kingdom cannot be delayed. He uses the image of a farmer to show that "no man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." He invites you to fix your eyes forward, trusting that the call to follow Him is worth every sacrifice.
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
Is there something making you say to Jesus, 'Lord, I will follow you, but first…'?
Pray
Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have said 'later' to you. Give me an undivided heart that follows you now. Help me put my hand to the plough and not look back.