Unfit for Service

May 10

(Luke 9:57-62 NIV) “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." {58} Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." {59} He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." {60} Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." {61} Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." {62} Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

(Matthew 7:13-14 NIV) “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. {14} But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

When Christ calls people to follow Him, He offers a “no exemptions, no excuses” contract. When you follow Jesus, you sign on for the entire trip. And the call is for today, not a year from now. Some who offer to follow are naïve, unaware of the gravity of their decision. Others commit to discipleship, but on their schedule and at their convenience. Christ says, “It doesn’t work that way. Disciples don’t set their own hours or make contract demands.” Signing on to work with Jesus means moving forward. Looking back will make us unfit for service. It is toxic to the call of God. And following Christ will always cost us something dear. Because of all this, more will turn Jesus down than will follow Him. The road is narrow and only a few will find it. Those who reject Christ’s contract become like the “walking dead”, who spend their lives burying the dead. Jesus offers life. Sign on! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day