“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:51-62

“Full Steam Ahead”

To go “Full Steam Ahead”, well, you are moving forward no matter what you might encounter. Where does this phrase come from? Well, 150 years ago, trains or locomotives ran fast by steam. When a ship’s captain or a train’s engineer shouted “Full steam ahead”, it meant to “put the steam boiler up to maximum pressure so we can go faster”.

Jesus is looking for people who are interested in following him. But, as the text suggests, there are plenty of excuses out there as to why people will not follow. We know we have family obligations. We know what it is like to have too many pressing concerns and responsibilities to offer the time we should to Jesus and the church. And Jesus’ comment that “no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of G-d”, well, that really hurts.

So what do we make of this comment? Well, as I see it, Jesus seems to be saying that no one can do any work, whether it is plowing a field or driving a car if they are distracted and worried. Many in Jesus time must have said they would follow him, but when life got in the way, they turned back and stopped. As such, if we begin the work of G-d, we should begin by first resolving to go on, because there will always be some distraction, some other “more important’ work that will be calling us away. Looking back, leads to drawing back, and drawing back is receding from Jesus — and having a relationship with Jesus is that important. We should begin every day with the resolve that we will continue — distractions or not — because it is that important — leading to nothing less than eternal life.

Pastor Dave

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18”15-22

“Seven Year Itch”

The “seven-year itch” term originally referred to scabies, an itchy infection caused by mites burrowing underneath a person’s skin. Its “seven-year” moniker referred to how long the bugs could linger. Yuck.

Unlimited forgiveness. This is what Jesus was talking about. When he says “not only seven times, but I tell you seventy-seven times”, he means a never ending supply of forgiveness. This is what is demanded of us in our relationships with others.

So, how can we manage an unlimited and endless supply of forgiveness for all people? Well, without Jesus, it is not possible. We can only do the things that Jesus demands us to do with the help of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way. And even with Jesus this will not be an easy battle. It would be easier to endure the seven year itch — but just as painful — because offering forgiveness to everyone, all the time, is painful. We like to hold on to the hurts that others bring to us. We like to point out the faults of our friends and family members. But, the Greek word for forgiveness actually describes “unclenching a fist” — or, in other words, letting go. Forgiveness is often not about the person we are forgiving, it is about our relationship with G-d. When we let go of earthly hurts, we can focus more on our relationship with G-d — which then helps us persist in our relationship with each other.

Pastor Dave