Obstacles to Obedience

The concluding portion of Luke 9 illustrates well how those Jesus calls to follow Him can easily find obstacles to simple obedience.  This is ironic because Jesus is God who knows the hearts and thoughts of all people, has given us all things--including every day on earth which is a gift from His hand--and those He called to immediate obedience excused themselves from this duty because of personal, more pressing concerns.  Is there any being more personal than our God, since He created us according to His divine plans and purposes?  Is He unaware of our responsibilities, seeing every one of them was ordained by Him?

People with genuine faith in God do not always immediately yield their will to His.  When God called Moses to go to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh, Moses was 80 years old and full of reasons seen in Exodus 3-4 it was not a good plan to involve him.  His response to God's revelation in the burning bush was to uncomfortably squirm in doubt and unbelief:  "Who am I that I should go?  What will I say your name is when the Hebrews ask?  They won't believe you have spoken with me!  I am slow with words and not eloquent.  LORD, send anyone else!"  God put a desire in the heart of Moses to deliver the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt long before speaking to him from the burning bush (Acts 7:24-25), yet when God called he was full of excuses and initially unwilling because of obstacles erected by unbelief in his mind.

After a man eagerly offered to follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus pointed out He did not have a place to lay His head.  Jesus made it clear following Him would not be a first class experience with 5-star accommodation, for He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.  No servant is above his master, and it was fitting this man follow Jesus unreservedly as Jesus obeyed His Father's will.  Luke 9:59-60 says, "Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  There was a fundamental disconnect in the man's response to Jesus, for He called Jesus "LORD" but justified an obstacle to obedience:  a familial responsibility.  Was Jesus unaware this man had a father?  Of course not.  His priorities were out of order, for he decided to do his will and go and bury his father rather than going and preaching the kingdom of God.  I suspect even after dear old dad was dead and buried, new excuses would drown out the command of Christ, and he would find reasons to continue going his own way.

Luke 9:61-62 reads, "And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." ⁶² But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  Another man expressed willingness to follow Jesus, but ironically he did not do so.  Saying farewell to people at his house was of greater importance from following Jesus right away.  There is nothing wrong with saying goodbye to people in itself, for Elisha went home and hosted a BBQ before following and serving Elijah (1 Kings 19:20-21).  The problem is when we justify obstacles to obedience to Jesus according to the dictates of our own hearts.  When we look at the world, at people (including ourselves) or the sacrifice God requires, obstacles to obedience mount in our minds even God, His promises and power cannot overcome when we live by sight rather than by faith in Jesus.  Saying we are willing but not obeying is unwillingness and disobedience.  It is only by looking to Jesus Christ in faith we are sufficiently strengthened and encouraged to put our hand to the plough and continue going straight ahead.