“No Looking Back” (Luke 9:51-62)
Introduction
- We are studying Jesus’ journey to the cross
- God loves us so much that he was going to take extreme measures to bring about reconciliation with people, and the possibility of social transformation
- Peoples’ lives then, as now, were caught up in hopelessness and tragedy; these were desperate times ... living under Roman oppression; yet in some quarters there was a spiritual openness ... a real desire to connect with life’s real purpose
- These measures began with the incarnation; you might even say that these measures lay in the heart of God from the very creation of the universe
- In the fullness of time God sent Jesus to earth in human form to interact with the world and reveal the true nature of God
- The cross would be an ultimate love-offering to all people
- Whether it be past and continuing sin, resultant guilt, selfish motivations, complete turmoil, or a sense of shame – Jesus would deal with this on the cross, to open up fresh access to God
- God would then raise the completely innocent Jesus from the dead to lead his followers into newness of life.
Questions to Ask
- What strikes you in this passage?
- What did it mean for Jesus to “set his face to Jerusalem?
- What relationship does this have to the verses that follow (concerning following Jesus)?
Setting his face
At Luke chapter 9 and verse 51 (and similar stages of the other Gospel books), we read that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem”! This phrase “set his face to” means that Jesus made a firm decision with resolve and steely determination. Jesus would go to Jerusalem and look all opposition in the face ... all opposition – political, spiritual and human opposition. Jesus did so knowing that any suffering ahead was an inevitable part of God’s plan of offering reconciliation and salvation.
Despite Jesus being God incarnate, this was still not an easy decision for the fully human Jesus to make, for he knew what Roman punishment involved. This concern [shall we say, this fear], was still evident later in the Garden of Gethsemane; yet both there and here, Jesus commits to going forward to the cross ... without looking back. Yet resolve and courage would be needed, when such rampant rejection and misunderstanding lay ahead!
Jesus could have looked back to a quieter and safer life in the family carpentry business. Jesus could have looked sideways toward the temptation of taking up a position of power on earth (as put forward by Satan) or given in to the temptation of avoiding the cross altogether (as put forward by his own disciple Peter); yet Jesus did firmly “set his face” toward the cross at Jerusalem.
Earlier in chapter 9 (v.22), Jesus had said to his disciples, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised”. The disciples were gobsmacked at this, thinking and saying “Surely not”; yet they did not yet understand the cost of setting humankind right, and how deep the problem was imbedded. These disciples were also not ready to hear that, being Jesus’ followers, they too may be required to face persecution and death (in the name of Jesus).
The Nature of Discipleship
When the disciples James and John wanted to punish the Samaritans for not welcoming Jesus (v.54-5), Jesus rebuked them, as if to say, “That is a ridiculous suggestion”! Not just ridiculous, downright harmful, and not representative of God at all. What was this all about? By sending disciples ahead of him to try to arrange some accommodation, Jesus hoped to be able to spend a little time in this Samaritan village, despite the hostility that existed between Jews and Samaritans. Whereas it was regrettable that the Samaritans there were unwilling to welcome Jesus, because of their animosity towards Jews and Jerusalem, this should not cause the type of retributive response proposed by James and John (who should have known better).
For, there might well be another day when such people will be more open. This is the Jesus, who from the cross forgave everyone who had contributed to put him there! And of course Jesus would continue to be a champion of reaching out beyond the existing boundaries. For, it won’t be long before Jesus tells the parable of the “Good Samaritan”, allowing this Samaritan to be cast as the ideal neighbour. We often encounter people who are closed to our message of light and hope at a particular time, like Jesus was here, but this has to be seen as a matter of timing which wasn’t quite right. We might move on, but we don’t write them off!
The disciples are called to broadly share the gospel message – not to judge those who reject it! This is a very important thing to remember in regard to the broad application of the Easter story. Jesus died for all people ... and certainly for the people that currently seem closed and resistant ... and certainly for the people we find difficult or inconvenient, and also certainly for the people who have annoyed us or even hurt us. We can feel frustration or even resentment for people who blaspheme God or persecute Christians, yet Jesus died that even they might be reconciled to God, and who are we to interrupt this outpouring of grace!
The Cost of Discipleship
When certain people attracted to Jesus thought that it would be easy to follow Jesus, and that they could do so at their own convenience, Jesus put some significant challenges to them (v.57-62). This was not to send them away nor scare them off, but rather to point out the seriousness of such a commitment, and that they needed to be fully focussed if they were going to be able to stay on the journey. Yet what a great and significant commitment to make! For, it really means something!!
Conclusion
Jesus did not look back when he had “set his face to go to Jerusalem”. Nothing was going to get in the way of bringing salvation, hope and purpose to humankind. There was nothing more important than people being reconciled with God, and learning to live in God’s way. And necessarily Jesus’ followers would have to understand the real nature of taking up this cause. The lot of his disciples is tied in with Jesus’ own lot. It is at this moment that people have to decide if they are joining Jesus in “setting his face” toward the cross and a mission toward all humanity. The true people of God are being formed around Jesus himself (this concept from Luke Johnson cited by R.B. Hays).
Jesus put his own hand to the plough and brought in the Kingdom of God. Jesus first left the glory of heaven, and then his human family and home for our sake. Jesus spent his days with people who were blind, suffering from leprosy and riddled with demons of various kinds, people who had been well and truly rejected by mainstream society. Jesus constantly faced the reality of opposition and the prospect of death. And Jesus promoted “good news” that needed to reach the Samaritans and the Gentiles and the people of all the nations of the world.
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