The Non-committal Commitment

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Lu 9:62 AV)

There were three requests made of Jesus before those who desire to follow would do so.  The first was a guarantee of minimal provision.  The second was permission to bury a loved one.  The third was to bid farewell to those living who were close to the disciple.  None of these, in and of themselves, is an unreasonable desire.  Who wouldn’t be concerned regarding their next meal or where they were going to sleep that night?  Who would be so hard as to not mourn over the loss of a loved one?  Who wouldn’t want to say good bye to those closest to him knowing he may never see them again?  The LORD is not being calloused here.  The LORD did not require of them to leave all and follow him.  What the LORD is saying is if one is going to make a commitment, it cannot be a conditional one.  Not when surrendering to follow the LORD.

Many are willing to follow the LORD as long as the LORD affords them a few conditional liberties.  We will follow as long as we are not asked to do this or that.  We will follow as long as something which we deem more important doesn’t interrupt our following.  Let me be clear.  This is not easy.  When a loved one lay dying of a horrible disease and you cannot be there because of the calling of God on your life, it will rip you heart apart.  Those mentioned in the passage above offered to follow.  Christ did not demand they do so.  They surrendered.  Even in our passage, it is the man that puts his hand to the plough.  It is not the master that forces him to do so.  This is a free-will choice to undertake responsibility for the LORD’s sake.

If we are to commit, we must be all in.  This doesn’t mean the LORD will automatically decline the request to go bury a loved one.  This doesn’t mean the LORD will automatically decline the liberty to visit with loved ones left behind.  This doesn’t mean God will not provide for one’s needs.  All Jesus is saying here is that commitment must be unconditional, leaving all those desires with the LORD.  No conditions placed upon our commitment.  We are either in or out.