As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)
To follow Jesus is a much different occupation than believing in him. I will cleanse and restore every person who will open their hearts to their savior, but not everyone (in fact very few) choose to follow him. Don’t worry about the theology of that statement, just pay attention to the way Jesus defined the lifestyle of a follower: 1. A follower is one that might not have a settled life in the way that foxes have dens and birds have nests. 2. A follower might not be able to join in the traditions of his or her family and at the same time proclaim the kingdom. 3. A follower can’t look back but must keep his hands to the plow and his attention on the present. There are not enough Jesus-followers among my people and that is why Christians sometimes follow other influences and choose a settled comfortable life filled with tradition, looking back instead of dwelling in the present. It’s important to present the good news of salvation, but it is equally important to make it clear to all what it means to be followers of Christ.
— April 4, 2021