Jesus said to him,
“No one who puts his hand to the plow
and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:62
Are you fit?
Christ followers’ goal is progressive sanctification, which means we strive to be more like Jesus in every way. In our MD5 discussions, we have speculated that Jesus was very fit.
While no specific verse describes Him as such, the Scriptures do describe how He walked everywhere he went and often fasted. This combination, along with Jesus’ obvious self-discipline, would lead one to believe He was in good shape.
In Luke 9:62, we find that Jesus gave His followers a fitness test, though not in a way we might think. He said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The Context
Preceding this statement, Jesus talked with three people.
The first person said, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And 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.”
To the second person Jesus said, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
The third person said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Spiritual Fitness
Jesus’ fitness test for these three men was completely counter cultural.
To the first person he reminded him that following Him would not be a life of comfort and self-absorption.
To the second person he shared that following Him may require abandoning some deeply rooted desires.
To the third, He shared that His mission is urgent.
Application
Let’s take Jesus’ fitness test.
Are we “looking back” by focusing on a life of comfort and leisure?
Are we “looking back” by focusing more on people than we are on God?
Are we “looking back” by not living with a sense of urgency in fulfilling the Great Commission?
Prayer
“Father, please enable us to live for you in such a way that we are fit for the Kingdom!”
Steve Crawley
MD5 Facilitator