Brent Kuhlman

+ Jesu Juva +

Memo to Jesus:  Pay attention to our needs.  What we think is important.  The Samaritan village gave You the boot when You won’t meet their felt needs.  You’re just too stubborn Jesus.  Too hard-headed.  Going to Jerusalem.  And no one is going to stop You.  No one.  James and John want Jesus to pull an Elijah.  Do a little hell on these folks.  Rain down some fire and brimstone on those Samaritans.

But instead of Jesus pulling an Elijah.  He rebukes the sons of thunder.  “You just don’t get it do you James?  Do you John?  I didn’t come to destroy anybody.  I didn’t come here to damn anybody.  Not even the Samaritans.  I’ve come to save people.  That’s my program.  That’s my style.  Now please if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to Jerusalem.  Don’t try to stop Me.”

On His way to Jerusalem -- you know what’s going to happen there don’t you? -- Jesus encounters three -- count ‘em -- three eager beaver followers.

The first guy comes to Jesus.  Looks Jesus up.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  That frees up a night from doing evangelism calls.

The first dude says:  “Lord, I’ll follow you wherever you go.”  “Wherever you go.”   Now that’s an eager customer.  “Snatch him up Jesus!  Give him a one hour session on how everyone’s a minister.  Give him the half
hour stewardship talk, another half hour obedience lecture and then hand him his offering envelopes.  And by all means assimilate him!  Chop!  Chop!  Let him do the ministry.  Let him do a Jerusalem Job!  Let’s stop all this negative talk about betrayal, suffering, and dying!  Good grief!  You won’t grow a church on that!”

And what does Jesus say to Mister Follow Wherever You Go?  “Great to have you on board.  Welcome.  It will be fun.  Successful.  Win millions for our cause.”  No.  Just the opposite.  “Hang with me homeboy?  Go wherever I go?  Have you thought about what that means?  I remind you that foxes have dens. Birds have nests.  But I don’t have a crib.  No bed.  Not even a pillow for my head.  For I’m going to do the Jerusalem Job!  I alone!”

Nice job Jesus.  He’s history.  “Gone-dhi.”

Better luck with prospective member #2.  Let’s call him Gary Gravedigger.  This time Jesus at least offers the invitation to:  “Follow me.”  After hearing what happened with Mister Follow You Wherever You Go, Gary Gravedigger declines too.  “Got to make plans for my Dad’s funeral.  Burial plot.  Embalming.  Pick out a casket.  Call the florist.  Get an organist.  Make all the arrangements.  Oh, he’s not dead yet.  But he will be someday.  You understand Jesus, don’t you?”

Jesus appears to show no understanding.  No compassion:  “Let the dead bury their own dead.  I asked you to follow me.  To preach God’s kingdom revealed in me as I’m betrayed and then hang dead on the Cross.”  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this fellow will have second thoughts.

All right.  Third time’s a charm with the Goodbye Gus.  “Lord, I’ll follow you.”  Sounds great.  Finally, a follower.  Whew.  Thought we were going to strike out.  But then he whiffs at Jesus’ fastball called betrayal and Calvary death. “Excuse me Jesus.  I just remembered.  Got to get home first.  Say my goodbyes.  Can’t just take off without saying farewell to Mom and Dad.  My wife and kids.  What would they think?”

That’s understandable isn’t it?  How about a little patience Jesus?

Nope.  None at all.  “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Don’t you find this strange?  Doesn’t this trouble you?  Jesus wants people to follow Him doesn’t He?  So why does He stubbornly give these guys such a hard time?

Remember the beginning of the text:  “As the time approached for Jesus to be taken up He resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

Three want to follow Jesus.  But they have no idea where He’s going.  They have no clue for what they’re signing up. They want to follow Jesus and have a life.  That’s understandable.  Fair enough.

But He’s going to do a JERUSALEM.  That’s means a bitter betrayal.  Extreme suffering. Brutal death on the tree of the Cross.  His resurrection from the dead.  And then His disappearing act in the Ascension.

Memo to sinners:  When you look at this text carefully, Jesus is exceptionally merciful.  For He alone can do a Jerusalem.  He’s the Savior.  He does what He says.  No where to rest His head because He’s going to the Cross.  Proclaiming God’s kingdom.  Putting his hand to the plow and never looking back.  It’s a solo trip.  And He knows it.

To do a Jerusalem like that Jesus won’t look back.  He’s forward looking.  To  Calvary.  Nothing else matters.

So when it looks like He’s ignoring the Samaritans and being so inconsiderate of the trio’s needs, He’s really not.    They can’t die and rise for the world.  Only Jesus does that.  And so their needs and wants, important as they are (Jesus doesn’t deny that), do not measure up to what He’s going to do at Jerusalem.

He going to die. For the Samaritans who evicted Him.  For Mr. Wherever You Go, Gary Gravedigger, Goodbye Gus and all of us.  To bear our sin and our damnation in His Body on the Cross.  Not counting any of our sins against us.  Giving us what we don’t deserve:  heaven.  Salvation.  Free for nothing.

Jesus provides for our ultimate need:  salvation.  His death is everything.  His death is our life.  All has changed because of Good Friday.

What else is there to do? Might as well enjoy His death.  Where together with Him we were crucified and died.  Live in your Baptism.  Confess your sins.  Trust His Word of forgiveness.  And then feast at His Table at every opportunity to rejoice in the inheritance His doing a Jerusalem.  There in the Supper you hear Jesus’ voice.  It’s His nail-scarred hands that feed you His most holy Body and Blood.

Who would ever want to live as if Jesus never did a Jerusalem?  As if Good Friday never happened?  I know you don’t.

So happy following Jesus.  He made it to Jerusalem.  For you.  For your salvation.  He is everything.  He’s your Savior. 

So go ahead.  Bury your father and other relatives when the time comes.  Enjoy your family.  And when the time comes to say your good byes, do it.  Because Jesus resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem.  And He did it!  Salvation – for you! 

In the Name of Jesus.