What is the meaning of Luke 9:62? Then Jesus declared • Jesus has just fielded three would-be followers (Luke 9:57-61). Each encounters the cost of discipleship. • His declaration comes as a gracious but firm warning: He will not dilute the terms of following Him. • Throughout the Gospels Christ speaks with authority (Matthew 7:28-29; John 6:68). Here, His word is final and binding. No one who puts his hand to the plow • The image is everyday first-century farming: once the plowshare bites into the soil, the farmer must grip tightly and move forward in a straight line. • Discipleship is purposeful, forward-moving work (Philippians 3:12-14; Luke 14:26-27). Half-hearted effort tears up the field and wastes seed. • Elisha’s call mirrors this commitment: he burned his plow and oxen, leaving no retreat (1 Kings 19:19-21). and then looks back • Looking back signals divided loyalty—eyes on Jesus, heart still on former attachments. • Lot’s wife looked back and perished (Genesis 19:26), and Israel’s nostalgia for Egypt weakened their trust (Numbers 11:4-6). • Jesus later says, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). Hebrews 10:38-39 urges us not to shrink back. is fit for the kingdom of God • “Fit” speaks to suitability, not earning salvation: the kingdom demands undivided allegiance (Matthew 6:33). • A soldier entangles himself at his peril (2 Timothy 2:4); a disciple entangled with the past cannot advance the kingdom’s work. • Christ warns Sardis, “Strengthen what remains” (Revelation 3:2-3). He still calls for whole-hearted loyalty today (Mark 8:34-38). summary Jesus plainly states that discipleship permits no reverse gear. Once we grasp the plow of Christ’s call, our eyes, hearts, and energies must remain locked forward on the King and His kingdom. Looking back ruins the furrow, betrays divided loyalty, and signals unfitness for kingdom service. Whole-hearted, forward-moving obedience is the only path that honors the Lord who first set His face toward Jerusalem for our sake. |
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