Luke 9: 51-62 

Starting here in Luke, chapter 9, Jesus and his disciples begin a travel narrative, a travelogue, on their way to Jerusalem, from chapters 9 to 19. Returning from a trip to visit her grandmother, a woman was pulled over by a state trooper for speeding. When the trooper gave her a verbal warning rather than writing a ticket, the grateful driver gave him a small bag of her grandmother’s homemade chocolate chip cookies to thank him. Ten miles down the road, another trooper stopped the same car. “But officer, I wasn’t speeding, was I?” the woman asked. “No,” the trooper said with a smile. “But I heard you passing out great homemade cookies.”  

A tour bus full of noisy tourists arrived at Runnymede, England. They gathered around the guide, who said, “This is the spot where the barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta.” A man pushing his way to the front of the crowd asked, “When did that happen?” “1215,” answered the guide. The tourist looked at his watch and said, “Rats! Just missed it by half an hour!” 

The disciples asked the Lord if he wanted them to command fire to come down and consume the Samaritans who didn’t receive him in their town. The disciples believed they could bring fire from heaven. In the previous chapter, Jesus calmed a storm. At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. The same one who calmed the storm was their teacher who gave them power and authority to change circumstances, but he gave no consideration to their inquiry. “He turned and rebuked them. Then they went to another village.”  

Do you wonder what Jesus’ rebuke or reprimand was? I found a reprimand. Leo Durocher, Hall of Fame manager, was managing the Chicago Cubs. The team brought a young outfielder up from the minors. When the Cubs got well ahead in one game, Durocher put the rookie in center field. He promptly dropped a fly ball and made a wild throw. Durocher pulled out the rookie and put a veteran in center field. Then the veteran dropped an easy fly ball. Enraged, Durocher grabbed the rookie on the bench and shouted, “You’ve got center field so screwed up, no one can play it.” 

The disciples were rebuked simply for making the inquiry if he wanted fire to come down on those who rejected him. The Samaritans were not rebuked. The issue was not to indict those who rejected Jesus and his mission. Again, I reference the start of this chapter: “Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. (9:5)” The correct response is to leave them as they are with their own dust and move on. “They went on to another village.” 

Again, the Samaritans were not rebuked. The believers, the friends of Jesus were the ones out of line. They wanted to be advocates for the will of God to be done in that town by bringing fire down on Jesus’ opponents. Jesus rebuked them, reprimanded them. They were out of line. Again, the correct response was to move on.  

As Jesus started his way to Jerusalem to face his own betrayal, trial and execution, he heard his friends represent nothing but the kingdom of darkness and think they were doing the will of God. The verses that followed described encounters with three would-be followers. The first interesting thing of these encounters is that the disciples that had been with Jesus for a while were no stellar examples of what true followers should be. They think they knew the will of God by wanting and petitioning for fire to rain down on the infidels. They were wrong. Jesus told them so. Leave them with their own dust. Move on.  

How did Jesus address the hearts of the would-be followers? He told them the truth of what it meant to follow Jesus. Oh, the home boys following Jesus since the Sea of Galilee thought they had it all figured out. They went through villages bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere (9:6), but they didn’t really pay close attention to what Jesus told them. They were much more interested in doing the deeds of power that Jesus did than to do what Jesus said – Leave them their own dust and move on.  

Three companions – Mr. Faith, Mr. Fact, and Mr. Feeling – were walking along, one in front of the other, on top of a wall. Suddenly Mr. Feeling, who was last in line, and who was not noted for his good balance, stumbled and fell from the wall. He lay groaning on the ground. Mr. Faith, distracted by the loss of his companion, also slipped and fell from the wall. Only Mr. Fact remained. He was not moved easily and stood firm as a rock. By doing so, he was able to help Mr. Faith to get back up. At last, between Mr. Fact and Mr. Faith, they were able to restore a shaken Mr. Feeling back up on the wall and to continue their journey. 

How did Jesus address the hearts of the THREE would-be followers? He told them the truth of what it meant to follow him. Foxes and birds have homes; the Son of Man doesn’t. One of them would follow after burying their father, but the dead should bury their own – proclaim the kingdom of God. Finally, a follower can’t focus on the message and the deeds of God’s truth and have regrets.  

There is a cost to following Jesus, and the cost isn’t paid in this story by those who reject him. THE COST IS PAID BY THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM. The days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, received up, and to set his face towards Jerusalem. The followers, without a home, focusing not on the dead but on the Kingdom, without regrets, followed their Lord. NOT KEEPING SCORE OF WHO ACCEPTED AND WHO DIDN’T, JUST MOVING ON. Moving on, sharing the good news, curing and blessing, and knowing the cost of following is paid all along the way.  KEEP MOVING ON.  

Aren’t there victories? Isn’t there revival? KEEP MOVING ON. Where are our homes? Where are the dead buried? What are my regrets? KEEP MOVING ON. Keep no score card. Don’t count victories or defeats. KEEP MOVING ON. There’s always the next town. There’s always the next opportunity to share the blessings and mercy of our Lord to the one who’s never heard. KEEP MOVING ON. 

(Preached at St Mark United Methodist Church in Anniston, AL, 6-29-25)