Making Decisions pt2 — All the Reasons Why

I’m excited to dive into the second part of Luke 9:57-62 this week. This is a continuation of my post from last week, the second part of a three part mini-series based on the interactions Jesus has with three potential followers. Last week, I discussed the first conversation and the emotional decision to follow Christ. This week, I’d like to take time and discuss what I see as the opposite reaction to following Christ.

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the kingdom of God,”
— Luke 9:59-60 NLT

Again… Jesus seems harsh in this exchange. I love how a friend of mine explained Jesus during a small group discussion. I don’t remember her exact words, but she eluded to how Jesus didn’t sugar-coat things; he was direct and honest. Direct honesty can sometimes feel harsh, but this was the way Jesus talked at times. He spoke in parables that invited the listener to examine closer, but when it came to truths of God’s kingdom Jesus kept it simple. I prefer a simple, direct answer to a circular answer that doesn’t address the question.

At first read, it sounds like this man wants to go take care of his dying father, which is a noble and understandable request. Upon further study it seems more likely he was wanting to return home for an indeterminate amount of time until his father died. the father wasn’t on his deathbed yet, but the man wanted to honor his duty to family and wait, thinking that after his father passed he would have the freedom to go and follow Jesus.

Jesus is calling him to something bigger than a family obligation: he’s commanding this man to go proclaim the good news of Jesus. This is an urgent matter that deserves full attention. This is not a call to be pushed off until the ‘time is right’ and other obligations are met. Preaching the good news is utmost importance in the life of a Jesus-follower. Family obligations are important, but Jesus calls this man (and us) to put his call above what seems most important.

I have someone very close to me that seems to push off the responsibility of following Jesus. The reason is they want to wait until they’re older and more settled to devote time to Christ. I know this person’s heart; I know they love God. After having many conversations with them about this, I’ve seen that the reason is more like an excuse. This person isn’t ready or willing to make Jesus a priority yet. They have concerns that feel more pressing, and if I look at it from a material perspective I can understand the logic. As someone older in both age and spiritual maturity, I see the flaw in the logic. There are always going to be ‘reasons’ not to follow Jesus, reasons to push off devotion to him.
“When I get out of school…”
“When I’m older and more settled…”
“When I’ve got a family to care for…”
“When my kids are older…”
“When my workload calms down…”
“When i’m more financially secure….”
“When I’m in better health…”
On the surface, all of these make logical sense. When I probe deeper to my own reservation for full devotion, I see a deeper-rooted issue of pride (at least that’s the one that comes up most often in my life). I think all the things that are important to me — more important than the call God has placed on my life, more important than cultivating a relationship with Jesus. I place my wants or desires above what God wants or desires for me.

It could also be the reverse… maybe we think we’re not good enough or ready to follow Jesus. Maybe we think we need to break an addiction or stop a behavior pattern. This is similar to pride issues… if I can just clean myself up enough, then I’ll be ready to do what God asks. God doesn’t want us to clean ourselves up before we follow him; he wants our willingness to trust him and put him as our top priority.

In my own life, I’ve been guilty of using prideful reasoning to put off doing something I know God has called me to do. Whether it’s forgive someone who hurt me, serve in church, disciple someone, or even write this blog, I’ve come up with reasons why I shouldn’t, and then I put off doing the thing I know in my gut I’m meant to do.

The bigger point here is that time is short, we aren’t promised tomorrow. When Jesus calls me, I want to act on it wisely and not put it off based on my own reasoning. If I feel like Jesus is calling, then hopefully that means I’m praying and seeking him…going back to the passage in Luke 9 for a minute, it’s interesting that Jesus calls this man to follow. This man must have been following Jesus at some level. Jesus must have sensed the man’s interest and decided to answer the interest with a call to officially follow. When we search for Jesus, he will meet us and lead us to where we need to go.

I hope this encourages you to look at your own life and see what Jesus is calling you to. Maybe it’s to follow him for the first time as a Christian. Maybe it’s to take a step of faith and serve in a community. Maybe it’s to disciple someone or forgive a past offense. If you are seeking God, he wil show you what to do. The next step is obedience… to trust and follow the call.