Karl Kowallis
New Testament Paper
Rel A 201
Fall 1995
No Turning Back
"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."(1)
The call to follow the Savior is deeply important. Yet, why would Christ say, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God?" Where were the thoughts and desires of these individuals? They presented themselves as ready, yet they were not. What would cause a person to turn away from the Savior?
Many people came to Christ with faith in his divinity, yet they would not openly confess him. The cares of the world prevented them from taking advantage of the love the Savior offered. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to avoid tainting his Jewish position. A young righteous man asked Jesus what more he needed to do for God to accept him. For him to forsake possessions was difficult and he "went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."(2)
What motive does the Savior require? To intend to follow him is not enough. He requires action as well. We can only follow the Savior if we keep him in the forefront of our minds. Peter walked on the water, with his eyes fixed on the Savior. As Peter glanced at the wind and waves about him he lost sight of his strength, his Savior, and began to sink.(3)
The First and great commandment is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength.(4) "If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."(5) If the Lord is not our center of our attention and commitment, we cannot truly follow him. As with our treasures, it is where our hearts are that matters.
Lot was commanded to take his family and leave Sodom. "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand . . . and set [them] without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." They escaped to Zoar, a small nearby town. After they arrived, "the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."(6) What was it that Lot's wife desired that she turned back, contrary to the command of the angel?
Nephi left Jerusalem as did his brothers, Laman and Lemuel. Laman and Lemuel were constantly looking back. What had they given up? They lost wealth and the security and comfort of home. Only Nephi, with faith in God and a willingness to obey regardless, allowed him to leave his homeland joyfully. Their hearts and motives reflected their true character in the subtle difference in their actions, despite their outward similarity.
The Ammonites of the Book of Mormon proved the point and intent of the Savior's comment, "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."(7) They would rather die than sin. "And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end."(8) The converted Lamanites were firm and steadfast, loving God more than their lives. They were zealous for righteousness.
God knows our hearts and our thoughts will judge us. We inevitably reflect our thoughts in our actions. "For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing."(9) Whether our murmurings, or our turning back, reveals our motives as we long for the past, it is the heart that we have displayed. Do we love God or would we turn back? To accept Christ is to give your whole soul and person to his cause. Nothing less will do.
Notes
== 1. ==Luke 9:57-62
2.
== 3. ==Matthew 14:28-31
== 4. ==Matthew 22:37
== 5. ==Luke 14:26
== 6. ==Genesis 19:23-33
== 7. ==Matthew 10:37
== 8. ==Alma 27:27
== 9. ==Moroni 7:6
Copyright 1996
Last updated 9 Nov 1996
