Don’t Look Back

In Luke 16:57-62 Jesus discusses the high cost of discipleship. The text says a “certain man said unto Jesus, saying ‘I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. Jesus response was, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Jesus then encouraged another to follow him and excuses began to be made. The first person wanted to first go and bury his father. To us this doesn’t seem to be such a foreign request. Who would not want to bury their father if he needed to be buried. The Lord’s response was not what would have generally been expected. “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” The second said ‘I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house’. Again, it doesn’t seem like a major problem, yet the Lord said “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” What could possibly have been the problem here? It is the problem of priority! A person’s actions are determined by where his priorities are. This is well illustrated in Matthew 6:19-20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

How many of us having put our hand to the plow, find ourselves looking back? We have obeyed the gospel and for a while are excited, active and happy. Then for various reasons we catch ourselves beginning to look back to the things we used to do. We then notice our interest begin to shift and our excitement, interests in what at one time meant so much begins to lose its appeal. Before long our attendance becomes less frequent, our participation becomes less involved, we begin to find things we dislike that will eventually serve as an excuse for exiting the congregation. In Luke 8: 13-14 gives us illustrations of those who became guilty of looking back. Verse thirteen says “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” In verse thirteen trials caused them to look back and give up. In verse fourteen it is diverted interests, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” Do either one of these reasons fit us? A careful examination will reveal the truth in this regard.

There are several bible examples of people who having put their hand to the plough, looked back. The accounts also reveal the reasons for their backward look.

What about Israel of old having left Egypt was guilty of looking back. Egypt had influenced Israel far more than they even realized. In Exodus 17:3 The people begin to murmur (complain) because they were thirsty and what did they do they looked back to Egypt. In Numbers 14:1-4 Israel wishes they were back in Egypt “ (Numbers 14:2-4). And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.”

Demas, serves as another example of looking back. He had been a faithful servant in the kingdom of God. In Colossians 4:14 he is mentioned in sending greetings to them. In Philemon 24 he is mentioned along with other disciples. But in 2 Timothy 4:10 we read “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” Other examples could be given such as Solomon, Ananias and Sapphira, Judas and others, but these given should suffice to establish the point that God’s people become guilty of looking back.

What about Christians today? Have we not observed the very same thing happen far to often among the Lord’s people? Sometimes it is because of money (1 Timothy 6:10). Other times it is the things of the world (Luke 8:14) and thus the warning of (1 John 2:15). For others it is discouragement (Galatians 6:9). Several other reasons could be given but these should suffice.

What about you personally? Are you guilty of looking back having put your hand to the plough? Have you examined yourself to see? Each of us need to take a careful and thorough examination to see where we really are ( 2 Corinthians 13:5).

Bill Cantrell