Plow

Hand to the Plow

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“And Jesus said unto him, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ ”  Luke 9:62

When Jesus extends His call to follow Him it is a matter of urgency. It is not a wait and see if it checks out. Neither is there time to say “Good bye” or to take care of family burials that are yet to happen some unknown day in the future.

When one plows a field they must keep their eyes focused straight ahead, so that they can have a straight row or furrow.

The one having taken the plow, and looking back is quickly off course.

Let us who are in Christ Jesus and are following Him be ever faithful to the task He has given us and keep our focus straight ahead, keeping His word, and hiding it in our hearts making it the main words we think, live and share. Keep your hand to the plow; look straight ahead. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

If you have taken your eyes off Jesus, or have never had your eyes on Him, and are focusing on family issues, debt, loss of a job, loss of a family member; just remember Jesus makes you fit for kingdom service.

Call on the name of Jesus. He is the One who died for our sins, was buried, and rose again for our justification.

The Plough Man

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

I grew up on a farm.  A small farm by some’s reckoning; and large to others thinking.  It was mostly a Dairy farm, and we had beef cattle too for some of the time.  It still required plowing ground once in a while to sow Alfalfa hay, and certain others types of grass hay.

To plough [plow] in a straight line requires looking ahead.  If you look back, for whatever reason, you will end up with a crooked row.  Having said that let us look at our Bible text for today:

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto Him, Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.’ And He said unto another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.’ Jesus said unto him, ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.’ And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.’ And Jesus said unto him, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:57-62  (KJB)

For  the two men in the text, they wanted to follow Jesus, but they had other things to do.  The first would have had to wait for his father to die, then bury him. The second evidently had guests in his home, and saying their farewells would have taken much time away.

The lesson of the story, of these two men, and their desire to follow Jesus is this;  If you are going to follow Jesus, then follow Jesus, preach the kingdom of God – and that is Jesus – and do not look back.

Let me leave you with the commentary of John Gill on the “is not fit for the kingdom of God” closing of verse 62…

“is not fit for the kingdom of God: that is, to preach the kingdom of God, as in Luk_9:60. He cannot serve God and mammon, his own interest, and the interest of Christ; he cannot rightly perform the work of the ministry, whilst his thoughts and time are taken up in the affairs of the world.” John Gill’s EXPOSITION OF THE BIBLE

Sow to Yourselves in Righteousness, Reap in Mercy

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.  Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.  Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.”  Hosea 10:11-13 (KJV)

This verse reminds me of Galations 6:7,

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

A free society without this in mind is a condemned society.  Sow in righteousness, and your fruit and harvest will be mercy.

-T.A.