Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:61-62 (ESV)
One man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus warned him of the hardship involved in following him (Luke 9:57-58). Jesus called a second man to follow, but he wanted to wait until family obligations were fulfilled (Luke 9:59-60). And in this passage, a third person wanted to follow. But not quite yet. He wanted first to say goodbye to his family.
Jesus’ response to this man seems harsh. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Is there anything wrong with saying goodbye? I do not believe so.
There is a story (1 Ki. 19:19-21) in the Old Testament that Jesus could well be referring to here. Elisha was plowing a field when Elijah issued him a call to follow as his disciple. Elisha was permitted to tell his parents goodbye. But he also sacrificed his oxen and burned his plow. There was no going back for him. His old life was gone. He was committed.
Another story (Gen. 19:20-26) will help to illustrate this as well. Lot and his family were rescued from Sodom before its destruction. But Lot’s wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. We often picture that as happening while she was fleeing. But she had already reached a place of safety. It seemed her heart was still in Sodom, and she looked back with longing. And it cost her dearly.
What Jesus tells this person, and the rest of us, is that nothing should be more important than following him. Don’t look back on your old life with longing. And don’t let the affairs of this life interfere with serving. Jesus wants nothing less than all we are.
