Luke 9:51-62 (NRSV)
Read Luke 9:51-62 on biblegateway.com
Verse 51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Verse 52And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; Verse 53but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. Verse 54When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" Verse 55But he turned and rebuked them. Verse 56Then they went on to another village.
Verse 57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Verse 58And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Verse 59To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Verse 60But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Verse 61Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Verse 62Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Devotion
My congregation's mission statement begins, "Our journey of faith leads us …" It's a nod to the many travels in the Bible—from Abraham and Sarah obediently following God's call, to the searching of the magi, to the determination with which Jesus followed the path to the cross.
That journey of faith isn't always easy. The disciples learned as much when they were rejected by the Samaritans as they traveled with Jesus to Jerusalem. Sometimes your path takes you places you don't want to go. Sometimes you have to cut your losses.
How did the disciples keep moving forward? By taking their cues from Jesus. He knew he had a bigger mission, and he trusted that he was on the right path to fulfill it.
You may encounter obstacles or potholes on your journey today. That's OK. Keep the faith and take your cues from Jesus. He will take you where you need to go.
Prayer
Wherever my journey of faith leads me today, Jesus, remind me that you are one step ahead of me. Amen.