Rev (Dr) Quek Suan Yew

Hand on the Plough
Luke 9:62 (KJV), "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Introduction – Christ’s message on sheep among wolves was to teach His disciples the indispensable rule of total dependence upon Christ in order to be victorious in spiritual battles. The call to put one's hand to the plough and not turn back is to teach commitment. Dependence and commitment must go together in order for the child of God to be victorious from the beginning of his life of witness to the end of his journey on earth. To begin well and end miserably could do more harm than good to the cause of Christ in many cases. Living in today's world where Christianity is becoming more and more apostate, it is more dangerous and difficult now than ever since the local church was founded on the Day of Pentecost some 2,000 years ago. The face of Christianity is like a man on the stage changing his face to every changing scene of life. There was a time when the face of Christianity was the face of the Christ of Holy Scriptures. It is no longer so today. The claims are that it is the Christ of the Bible but therein lay the deception and deadly assault on Christianity.

It is therefore paramount that true believers learn to be totally dependent on Christ and not be moved from this commitment regardless of the changing scenes of life that constantly shift like a chameleon. We can do this by the grace of God when we take heed to what Christ warned His disciples to do the moment they put their hand onto the plough. This is seen in the use of the verb "follow" in the passage under consideration. There are three different persons in this passage. The first and third persons said that they wanted to follow Christ whereas the second person did not say that he would follow Christ but Christ commanded him to follow Him. The same verb appears in all three usages. The verb literally means "to be in the same way with" or "to become a disciple." The first and second persons said that they would be in the same way as the LORD Jesus Christ. This means that whatever and wherever the Lord went, they would follow . . . regardless of the difficulties or danger! This was their unconditional desire as disciples of Christ. This is the fundamental meaning of the verb "follow."

I. Emotions Only (Luke 9:57-58) – The first person met Jesus and His disciples who were on their way to another village. This first man offered to follow the Lord Jesus Christ "whithersoever thou [Jesus] goest." This was the right declaration from the person, for there is no other way to be a proper disciple if it is not based upon an unconditional surrender. He said to the LORD that wherever He went, he would follow. This was the right thing to say. It was an emotional response from this man. For whatever reason, he saw in Christ someone that he admired enough to surrender his life to and accompany Him everywhere He went.

Christ’s reply to him was: "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Foxes were considered unclean animals that live in dens. They are wild animals that wander from place to place as they find food. Yet they will be able to find a hole to live in at the end of their hunt. The birds are not the birds one finds in the Singapore Bird Park that cost lots of money and are very well cared for. Christ was referring to wild birds that roam the skies. They fly from one end of the world to another as their annual pilgrimage dictate. Yet everywhere they go they will have a nest to live in. They take time to build their nests in any place that they might stay for a while. Both these creatures may be unwanted and uncared for by man but they have a place called "home" to run to for safety and comfort. In contrast to these wild creatures, Jesus says that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. It does not mean that Christ does not use a pillow to sleep on, as some have intimated. There is a Bible College of which the founder interprets this verse in a wooden literal sense. He made it a rule that all the students who study in the College are not allowed to sleep on mattresses and pillows. They sleep on the floor made of either wood or concrete. What Jesus meant in this verse was that the disciple who follows Him must be prepared to forsake home which provides safety and security. His safety and security is in Christ, not the physical things! The comforts of life and safety in homes that are common in the lives of unbelievers must no longer be the life of Christ's disciples. Anyone who is not prepared to give up the safety and comfort of home for Christ's sake is not worthy to be Christ's disciples.

However, the disciple who said that he would follow Christ unconditionally did not say anything else, or at least the Bible does not record his reply. The Lord Jesus Christ then turned His attention to the second person who was nearby as seen in the next verse. The first disciple declared to Christ that he was prepared to follow Him whithersoever He went but not when he had to give up his house! Jesus knew his heart and did not ask this man to follow Him even though he volunteered and declared to all that he wanted to follow Christ. Paying Christ lip service backed up by an emotional response that is not carried out is of no use to anyone. It only compounds the person's transgression. Refrain from giving to God an emotional response that is not backed up by action.

Are you such a disciple too? All of us must be prepared to give up the comforts and security of life when called upon to do so for Christ. Living in a world of peace and tranquillity does not mean that we do not give up our comforts of life now. The way we do so today is to not be motivated by the comforts of life. We ought to maintain a faithful service in church and bear a godly testimony at home and at work or in school. Do not allow the temptations of materialism to draw us away from worship and serving the LORD in church. Our homes are to be where husbands love their wives as Christ loves His church. Wives are to submit to their own husbands as unto the LORD. Children are to honour their parents in the Lord. Anyone who is thinking of how to live in bigger houses all the time and who is pre-occupied with promotions and more money is like this first disciple.

II. Procrastination (Luke 9:59-60) – Then Jesus turned His attention to the second person whom Jesus called him to follow him! Jesus used the present imperative in his command. He basically charged this second person to follow Him. This means he was to stop whatever he was doing and to follow wherever Christ went like the 12 disciples. The second person’s excuse was, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father." This man did not reject Christ's command to follow Him. However, he had a condition. At first glance, the condition seems reasonable. He asked Jesus for permission to first go and bury his father! Doesn’t the Bible command the child of God to honour his father and mother in the Lord in Exodus 20:15? Burying one’s father is one of the highest honours given to one's parents. Isaac and Ishmael were present to bury Abraham their father (cf. Gen 25:9). Jacob and Esau were also present when they buried their father Isaac (cf. Gen 35:28-29). Jacob's twelve children gave their father a very amazing send off when they carried his body from Egypt back to the cave of Machpelah in the Land of Canaan (cf. Gen 49:29-50:13). There was nothing wrong with asking Christ for permission to bury his father first. However, the problem was that his father was not dead yet! This has to be the only understanding for Christ's refusal. To bury one's father would take less than a day or two at most, according to Jewish custom. However, if the father was not dead yet, then it becomes a lame excuse for disobedience.

The verb "go" means "to depart" or "leave." This second person whom Jesus commanded to follow Him was procrastinating. Jesus says in Matthew 10:37 (KJV), "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." There was no legitimate excuse for him not to follow Jesus when Jesus called him. He may not have wanted to initially unlike the first person who openly asked to follow Jesus. Jesus did not say that he could not bury his father when it was time to bury him. He wanted to make use of obeying his father to disobey Christ. What he did was to use one portion of God's Word to disobey another portion of God's Word. This was a common trait among the Pharisees and scribes in the days of Christ. Mark 7:9-13 (KJV), "And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."

His father was used as the cause of his procrastination was his father. Jesus rebuked such hypocrisy very sternly, "Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." What Jesus meant was to let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Basically, Jesus was saying to the second man that he was spiritually dead and that was why he was using the burying of his father as an excuse not to follow Christ. There was no justification not to follow Christ. Instead of telling him to "go" bury his father, Jesus used the same verb and told him to "go" and preach the kingdom of God! Staying at home to look after one’s father is not a good reason to not follow Christ. If the father is not a believer, then both will find themselves in hell one day. The best way to look after one's father is to follow Christ. Then he can "look" after his father by sharing Christ with him. The best way to care for him is by taking care of his soul! When sinners and professing believers cite the caring of their earthly fathers to disobey their heavenly Father, they are actually doing the greatest disservice to their earthly fathers! God the Father can save them through the obedience of His children. But when they love their earthly fathers more than their heavenly Father, it is a great transgression. Such disciples must examine their spiritual lives to see if they are really born again in Christ.

Preaching the kingdom of God to one's father is the best way to care for them. By becoming a disciple of Christ, the love of God and the gospel of Christ will be brought into the home. The light of God now shines into the home which once was covered by spiritual darkness. To reject Christ for the sake of father is to allow the darkness in the home to remain. What a tragic response to the best offer from Christ! Are you like this second man? Do you use your "devotion" to your parents as an excuse to not follow Christ and be His faithful disciple?

III. Distraction (Luke 9:61-62) – A third man declared to Christ that he would follow Him. Unlike the first man, he approached Christ with a condition. The condition was that he wanted Christ to let him go bid "farewell" to the ones at home. In the case of the second man, he was the son using the care of his father as an excuse not to follow Christ. Here we have the case of a father who is using his care for his family as an excuse not to follow Christ yet. As a believer, caring for one's family is paramount. The Bible teaches this truth very clearly in 1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV), "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." But that does not top obedience to Christ and following Christ unconditionally. Following Christ is not about sharing time with Christ and the world. There is no world in following Christ. It has to be all for Christ or none at all! The third man said to let him "first" take care of his family! There is no taking care of the family "first" without Christ. Like the second man, caring for the material needs of the family without Christ is futile. The family will all die in sin and end up in hell without Christ! Bringing the gospel to the family is first! This means that the father must first be a genuine believer himself. Bringing the gospel home is more than just teaching the Bible in words. He has to be a genuine and devoted believer and not let his family become the excuse for him to disobey the Word of God.

Jesus' reply to him was uncompromising and stern, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." There is no exception to this unchanging dictum from Christ! No man who says he wants to follow Christ, i.e. put his hand on the plough, like this father, and then look back, i.e. let his family come first in his life, is fit, i.e. useful, for the kingdom of God. The farmer whose hands are on the plough must only look forward as the animals are tilling the ground. The ground has to carefully prepared for the seeds which must be properly spaced apart for the crops to grow properly. The roots of the crops must not be entangled underneath which will happen if the seeds are planted too closely. The rows have to be straight. In order to achieve all these, the farmer has to keep his eyes in front as his hands are on the plough. The one who claims to follow Christ must be like the farmer with his eyes forward following all that Christ wants him to do. He cannot afford to look back or else everything that he does will be ruined. In other words, he is useless! He will damage everything that he touches. He is of no use to his family in terms of spiritual value! He might as well stop calling himself a believer! The life of the father in Christ is paramount! Jesus Christ must be first and not the family. It is very tragic that the bad testimonies from hypocritical fathers who have done more harm than good at home are many. They have sacrificed the spiritual life of their children for mammon. Many of them are weeping today because their children are now lovers of the world and there is little they can do expect go on their knees and ask God for mercy upon themselves and their wayward children.

The cause of the third man’s distraction was his family. Are you such a father? Young fathers, take heed to the warning of Christ and do not make this life damaging mistake.

Application – The parable of the four types of ground in Matthew 13:1-9 aptly describes what it means to hold on to the plough and not turn back! There are those who do not care for Christ's call to follow Him. The seed that falls by the wayside represents them. This is Christ's comment on such persons: Matthew 13:19 (KJV), "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side." The second type of ground describes the stony places with no deep earth. Underneath the soil where the seeds fall are stones. The roots of the plant are scorched by the sun’s heat and the plant withers away. This describes the person who hears and loves the gospel of Christ and even agrees to follow Christ but on his own terms. They must have a comfortable life without persecution for their faith. And when persecution comes they give up their faith. They did not want to follow Christ after all. The third kind of ground describes the ones who also say ‘yes’ to the gospel of Christ and they also want to follow Christ. But their terms are that family responsibilities and making more money. Jesus says that this kind of disciples will be unfruitful and their love of family and money will choke their lives. The seeds that fall on the good ground are the ones who hear, understand and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ and follow Him unconditionally. Their lives are completely transformed. They will bear much fruit in their lives. They become more and more like Christ in their thinking as they study God's Word. Their motive for living is the love of Christ. Their lives are holy and others will see Christ in them by their good works and glorify God who is in heaven.

Are your hands on the plough? Prove it by a life of holiness and service!

Jesus warns all professing believers: Matthew 7:21-27 (KJV), "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."