Breaking the Code - SAP

June 27, 2004

Luke 9:51-62

First Congregational Church
Wauwatosa, WI
June 27, 2004
Carrie Kreps
“ Face Set Forward”
Luke 9:51-62

51 When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him;
53 but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?"
55 But he turned and rebuked them.
56 And they went on to another village.
57 As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58 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."
59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
60 But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61 Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home."
62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

One way or another people get from point A to point B. Standing in downtown Milwaukee one witnesses many different forms of transportation. Buses wiz by, car navigate the busy streets, motorcycles, taxies, and bicycles join the mad race called getting to the destination on time. People more or less cram the sidewalks and crosswalks as they walk to their appointed location. Despite the lost art of walking, from one’s street corner view, several different types of walks can be observed. I have brought along some models to demonstrate several methods of walking.

First, the meandering. This person does not need to be at point B anytime soon. This person has time to smell the flowers, take in the sites, or idle in a coffee shop before continuing on his/her way.

Second, the already late walk. This person has a bus to catch and the bus is leaving in two minutes from the bus station five minutes away. The race is on!

Third, the “I’m here to have fun walk.” This walk was demonstrated by almost every child who came through the doors this last week at church. This walk was accompanied by a huge smile and the shouting of “I love VBS!”

Fourth, the purpose driven walk. This walk is demonstrated by children, adults, and grandparents, alike. In this walk the stride is even, the face is set and the mind is focused on the specific destination or task. Regardless if point B is a treasured activity or a dreaded experience, the purpose driven walker stays on course. This walk could also be called the ‘Face set forward’ walk.

Thank you models.

In addition to the “I’m here to have fun walk,” this week’s Lava Lava Island VBS was full of movement. Games, snacks, Chadder’s Adventures, Singing, Crafts and Hot Bible Adventure kept the children on their toes. Each day I guided the three year olds through fifth graders on their Hot Bible Adventures.

On Monday, I led a group of angels to a sheep filled field to surprise the shepherds with the good news that Jesus had been born. With a very quiet walk, we entered the field (or Lower Level 3) to deliver our message to the unsuspecting shepherds.

On another day, our Lava Lava Island crews became secret agents. Using speed and courage, our agents speed walked as they completed twenty-second challenges, such as, telling their crew leaders thank you for their help this week, paying compliments to their fellow crew members, or helping another person with untied shoelaces.

On Thursday, the crews found themselves locked in the Jerusalem Prison by a mean prison guard. After marching into the prison’s inner cell, they encountered a prisoner who had watched Jesus die on the cross. Thankfully, the prisoners learned that Jesus’ death and resurrection were the key to their freedom and the bracelets that had their names and crucifixion date written on them were wiped clean.

On Friday, the crews hurried to set up a Welcome Home party for Jesus only to find out that Jesus is in heaven until he comes again. The party quickly shifted and the crews reset up the party so it would be a Come Back Soon party for Jesus.
Movement was key to this week’s VBS. And, the movement all had a purpose, to teach our young people about God and God’s word.

Behind the scenes, organizers and volunteers ran around with “faces set forward.” They had a task to accomplish, a time to do it in, and the faces of smiling children as a reward. But the reward was so much greater than that. As you witnessed this morning, our young people learned about God’s amazing gift. Even in the chaos of the week, even with the disappointments or the misplaced props, the goal was accomplished by those with faces set forward.

The French Reformer, John Calvin, questions the author of Luke’s choice of words in his commentary on the Luke 9 passage. The author of Luke comments that at this point in his career, Jesus’ face is set forward towards Jerusalem. The set forwardness suggests Jesus’ determination to do what he knew that he had to do. Calvin asks, if Christ had not struggled with his death, would he have had a need to ‘set his face’ towards it? Calvin continues by explaining that this action, of setting his face, is an act of love. Jesus accepts the role he is to play and hastened towards his death. He walks towards Jerusalem with the “face set forward” walk. He has purpose, a goal, courage, firmness in his decision, and set-ness in his way. His pace is even and controlled, his eyes never leave the destination and he moves onward.

Jesus encounters three people on his journey from the Samaritan village.
The first person approaches Jesus and says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Maybe Jesus recognized the man’s intentions by his walk (it could have been an I’m here to have fun walk or maybe the meandering walk) because Jesus is quick to recognize that this man does not know the details of the ‘wherever’ he claims to want to go. In this famous statement, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head,” Jesus is telling this man not to expect more than the master. If the master does not have a place to call his own, his followers cannot expect to either.

The second person is asked by Jesus to ‘follow me.’ The man appears to want to follow Jesus but he asks to bury his parent first. It should be noted, that the burying of one’s parents, especially the father, was an honor and a social requirement. This man is asking to do what the law requires. Jesus’ response may seem harsh. He tells the man to let the dead bury their own dead. One commentator I read wondered if Jesus was rather implying, let the spiritually dead bury their own dead, while the spiritually alive proclaim the kingdom of God. Either way, the second person does not have the walk it takes to follow Jesus.

The third person promises to follow Jesus as soon as he has said good-bye to his family. In this request the man is implying that he first wants to set his affairs in order. Once again, Jesus tells him that this promise with a catch is not good enough.
“ On the way of the cross, there is no place for rash promises or misunderstandings regarding the cost of following Jesus.” These three persons assumed they could continue their meandering, “I’m already late,” or the “I’m here to have fun” walks. Instead, Jesus was demanding something more.

To conclude this passage, the author of Luke makes it very clear that only those with their faces set forward are invited on this walk. False promises of following are not excepted. The many other types of walks might get a person from point A to point B on the average walk, but Jesus is emphasizing that this is not a normal walk.
The call to discipleship from Jesus is on a plane far above one’s self, the dead, and one’s family. On paper it is a tough walk to follow.

Another commentator questioned the author’s intention in this section of the text. He wondered if this passage from Luke is really an example of Semitic hyperboles, or a dramatization of a point not meant to be taken literally. He sites Matthew 5:29 as an example, “If you right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away.” The commentator says that while Jesus demands are high, they are meant as goals rather than musts.

Regardless, though, of our ability to stay in step with Jesus’ walk towards Jerusalem, there are tools to keep our faces set forward. Prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship can keep us on the path.
To the third person who promises to follow him, Jesus responds, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Let me give you a modern day example.

While talking with my grandmother one day, she shared an interesting problem she was having with her car. While driving to the store she noticed an interesting building off on the right side of the road. As she looked the car began moving to the right. Sharing this with me, she was quite concerned that there was something wrong with her car. Listening to our conversation from the other side of the room, my dad piped up, “Mom, its not the car, its you.”

I have also experienced this while driving. Maybe you can relate. While driving down the highway, I notice flashing lights up ahead. My eyes shift to witness the action and my car, ever so slightly, follows my eyes. I notice the movement before entering the next lane and my car, and my eyes, return to the set course. Our hands follow our eyes. It is not a problem with the steering column or the alignment of the wheels. Our hands follow our eyes.

Jesus had his own way of explaining this phenomenon. In the art of plowing a field with a plow and animals, the operator must focus on the furrow being made or the furrow may become crooked. Literally, the hands follow the eyes. In this last section of the Luke text, Jesus is clear – keep your eyes set forward because no one who puts his hand to the plow (or the steering wheel) and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. The path must be made straight by a follower of Christ.

Living up to this high standard of a “face set on Jesus” walk can be intimidating. Let’s think about ways that it can be less intimidating. Jesus does not say that we have to keep up with him. That’s where grace comes in. Through grace our little steps, even our crooked steps can become straight.

During one of the Hot Bible Adventure sessions we talked about sins and asking for forgiveness. Presenting the lesson for five different groups I had ample time to think about the areas of crookedness in my own life. I praise God that even though I do not always keep my face set forward I can still benefit from the love of God.

I am also grateful for the opportunities that are available to help us stay in the lane. Daily Bible study, daily prayer, fellowship with people who are trying to live the same life are all ways available to us as we seek to keep our hands and eyes on the target. Little steps. Little steps set towards following Jesus.