Mt Olive Lutheran Church

September Messages

 Sept 2

Luke 9:51; 10:20

JESUS CALLS US to follow Him. At the end of Luke, chapter nine, Jesus says, “No one, who puts his hand to the plow and looks back, is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  

AS WHEN PLOWING the first furrow in a field, our lives are to have a target, to be aimed at following Jesus. Otherwise we will accomplish nothing in the kingdom of God.

BUT WHAT does it mean to follow Jesus? Luke writes his Gospel in such a way that we know exactly what it means to follow Jesus.

BEFORE this text, Luke tells us that Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. (9:51) First of all, following Jesus means to follow Jesus to the cross and the open tomb.

IN THIS TEXT and following, Jesus sends people to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God. (9:60; 10:1ff)

Following Jesus involves going to the cross and the open tomb. Following Jesus involves announcing the presence and power of the kingdom of God. I personally believe that these two are intimately connected: going to the cross and the open tomb is necessary if we are to effectively witness to Jesus and His kingdom.

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY. It was late, past 10pm when the phone rang. A member asked if I would go to University of Iowa Hospital and meet with a family. The Mom and Dad had just received new that their young 8 year old daughter had leukemia. I went. I entered the room. THE YOUNG GIRL was asleep, her long blonde hair giving her an angelic appearance.  HER PARENTS were hugging, near tears. I listened to her parents.  How could God allow this to happen? They didn’t want their daughter to die. I told them how sorry I was. We prayed. Inside, my heart was being torn apart.

FAST FORWARD A YEAR or so. On the front page of the Sunday Des Moines Register was a picture of this girl, now almost eight years old. The blond hair was gone as the result of chemotherapy. In the picture, though she would soon lose her battle with leukemia, she was smiling. The story began with the reporter telling of the first words this little girl said to him: “I’ve got good news and bad news.” Really, replied the reporter, what is the good news. “I get to see my Grandpa Van.” That’s great, said the reporter, what’s the bad news? “I have to die first,” said the little girl.

Ten years old. Only ten. A little girl full of life though her body was dying. Did she fulfill Christ’s purpose for her life? Did she follow Jesus to the cross and the open tomb? Did she witness to the joy of knowing that her name was written in heaven?

GOD WILL GIVE US opportunities every day to follow Jesus and let others know He is part of our life. A lot of times, you will witness merely by your attitude and your actions. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Amazingly, our greatest opportunities to preach the Gospel are when we are struggling or suffering. In the dark times of our life, the light of Christ shines more brightly. This little girl gave a witness to Jesus’ words – “Rejoice that your name is written in heaven.” I may never be privileged to give the kind of witness she gave. But daily, as I follow Jesus, as I repeatedly experience the power of His death and resurrection in my life, I will have numerous opportunities to witness to the power of forgiveness and the joy of heaven to others. That is the point of my life; it is my purpose; it is the power of my life.

AS GERRY SITTSER wrote, “It is not the experience of loss that becomes the defining moment of our lives, for that is as inevitable as death.  It is how we respond to loss that matters.  That response will largely determine the quality, the direction, and the impact of our lives.”