Misdirected Zeal

Text: Luke 9.51-62

The terse responses Jesus gives to a few wannabe disciples underscore the urgency of his mission and his eagerness to accomplish it. So, too, does his response to James and John, who want to call down fire from heaven to consume those who will not receive Jesus' message. There is no need to be impatient on the road to Jerusalem. But there is no place on that road for those who are not willing, first, to count the cost (as the first wannabe disciple apparently had not done) and, second, to forsake everything to follow Jesus (as the other two wannabes were not willing to do).

What James and John wanted was the instant gratification of seeing Jesus' enemies destroyed right then and there. But Jesus had other plans for dealing with those who rejected him. Had the first wannabe disciple understood the radical implications of discipleship beforehand, he would have wanted no part of it. Had the other two wannabes been ready to follow Jesus, they would have taken care of their family obligations beforehand.

In all three cases, there is a misdirected zeal which Jesus finds unacceptable. His mission is urgent, but it does not require impatience. What it does require is sacrifice, but not by those who offer it carelessly, and only by those who, having forsaken all else, will follow Jesus all the way to the cross without looking back.