4-28-2017

Good Morning All,

                   Luke 9:62; “Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

     It has been a long time since I have seen any plowing done in this region.  It used to be the only way anybody farmed but most plows are just sitting in the weeds or shelterbelts now.  It was always so important to start off straight.  If you didn’t start straight, you never got straight.  So you had to pick a point out at the end of the field, keep your eyes focused on that point and never look back.  If you looked back you would lose the point you were focusing on.

    Our verse uses the plowing analogy to make a point.  If you keep looking back at the past, you will never see the future.  This applies in a couple of ways.  First, we cannot be pining or looking longingly at our past sinful life.  This means that if going to a certain place or being with certain people will likely cause us to sin then we need to avoid those places or people.  This can be especially difficult if they are family members or close friends.  Yet if we look back, we lose sight of Jesus.  Our focus must always be heavenward and not earthward.

    The second way to look at this is that we must not look back at the past with despair.  This world is full of pain and sadness.  Throughout our lives, people are going to disappoint us.  People are going to lie to us, they are going to use us, and they will abuse us.  Sometimes it will be by accident but a lot of times it will be on purpose.  The world will hurt us; this we know.  So God encourages us to let the past be the past.  What is in the past of our lives should stay in the past.  When we keep looking back at past pain, it returns to our current life and we experience the pain all over again.

     So Jesus tells us, “don’t look back, keep looking ahead.”  In other words don’t look over your shoulder with desperation and pain; rather focus ahead with hope and confidence in God’s grace.  Keep looking forward; God’s grace is always leading us forward into his eternal kingdom.  Hold fast to his love and his promises; don’t let the old things drag you down.  Don’t let old days remind you and keep you in the pain that used to be.  Live for today with hope for tomorrow.  Don’t look back; know that God’s mercy will sustain you and lift you up.  Keep looking forward to the hope and the certainty of God’s everlasting love.  Don’t look back on what will only cause you pain.  Don’t look back and let the devil chide you and cause you to suffer for his snide comments.  Keep looking forward; keep your eyes focused on Jesus.  It is his love that lets us focus on the prize of heaven.

Dear Father, in this world of pain we too often look back and experience this pain again.  Give us the wisdom and the courage to look forward and to not look back.  Help us to see that nothing good comes from revisiting the sinful past.  Guide us by your Spirit and lead us to live with you in complete communion.  Be with our brothers and sisters who are especially in need of your love at this time.  This we ask in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret