Luke 9:57-62 (NRSVCE)
Would-Be Followers of Jesus
57 As they were going along the road, someone 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, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead 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 a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The following is an excerpt of Sister Lourdes Durazo’s Inspirational talk during the 9th Year Anniversary of AMEN California Anaheim Chapter, June 29, 2019.
Reference Verses
1 Kings 19:16,19-21
The Word of the LORD came to Elijah saying…”16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 19 So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” 21 He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”
“ Elisha was one of the great prophet of GOD recorded in the Bible. His name means “My GOD is Salvation”. He was GOD’s choice, and today we are all here because GOD chose us.
Elisha was willing to obey the call, prepared to count the cost, and determined to make commitment. This was not Elijah’s plan. It was not even Elisha overdoing. From what had happened earlier, we knew this was the plan of GOD.
It reminds us of what Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:16 which says, “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” It reminds us the song “I decided to follow Jesus”. So, it was not a recruitment for a glamorous job. It was a call to significance.
He counted the cost. He was prepared to counter the cost. We see the seriousness of Elisha’s response. He killed his pair of oxen as sacrifice and burnt the farming equipment to cook the meat. He fed his people. No going back for this young man. In doing this, he cut off his old occupation completely. No going back. And this was no small achievement. We were told he had 12 pairs of oxen in the field, meaning he was likely very rich. There’s a lot to let go. But to Elisha, more gain in serving the LORD as a prophet. He could still till or cultivate hard ground so to speak, not the natural ground of this land, but the spiritual ground of the heart of his people.
GOD is going to use him to cultivate the hardened heart of the Israelites and prepared them for planting of GOD’s seed- The Truth of GOD. But whatever the new life be, the process to it comes in a very simple way. GOD never forces us in His service. How easy it would have been for Elisha to have neglected this call, how easily he might have argued. If Elijah wants me - let him ask me. Straight out.”
The excerpt above is one way to prove that Sister Lourdes Durazo knew in her heart the reason why she is proclaiming the message of GOD. She embraced the calling of GOD. Like her, all of us are encouraged to embrace the calling of GOD by acting on it. We have to share in the proclamation of the Good News of Salvation. Matthew 9:37-38 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
All of us should find a way to serve GOD according to the gifts of the Spirit bestowed in us. This will honor HIM and the way to show how we love HIM. Doing so, harvest is ours, and the promise of Eternal life is ours. Romans 8:28-30 says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Let us be workers in the vineyard of the LORD, for the glory of GOD in Jesus Christ Name through the Holy Spirit, AMEN.
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