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Bible Text

Introduction

Abraham was called leave his family, his kindred, and his house to the land he will be shown by God. This is a New Testament comparative of Jesus’ discipleship conditions which involves an internal, not necessarily physical, distancing from one’s love of self-will to all wishes and commands of relatives that contradicts Christ’s. Furthermore, this passage is recorded in the present continuous tense form. So that like Abraham, our journey of faith is progressive. We begin with denying our self-will, we continue by it, and our earthly journey must end on the same note.

“Journey to where?” one may ask. Just like Abraham was promised a Canaan land, we journey out of ourselves into a land flowing with milk and honey of communion with God. A land where God is at home with us, where there is no barrier of sin or disparity with God’s expectation over us in Christ Jesus. A land where we do not necessarily change our base location but our desirable location have changed from that which is built by men to that "...whose maker and builder is God."¹. It is that land, which if desired and undoubtfully proclaimed, renders us as pilgrims on this earth. And for such Christ promised few days to His death: “In My Father’s house are many mansions;... I go to prepare a place for you,... that where I am, there you may be also."²

It is thus obvious that, if we are truly the children of Abraham, the similar conditions that made him the father of faith are demanded of us to prove that we are heirs of faith and, therefore, the true sons of our father.

Abraham’s Responses

Staggering initial obedience

First, it was staggering to obey this demand fully as Abraham departed from Ur of the Chaldeans, departed with his father and his father had them settle in Harran. Did God forsake him? No! Rather, God waited till he parted with his very precious father – Terah. He is no different from us. Many of us are as sluggish as Abraham. But Abraham did not relent. Although initially incompletely obedient, he made efforts. He took off on the least. Have you decided for God but are not able to follow in complete terms as yet? Happy are you. God is as happy with you as a father would, with a walk-attempting toddler. The joy He had on Jesus, a Son, is however achievable.

Endurance arising from his conviction

No matter how close from home Abraham was, or how gross the losses he faced, Abraham did not return home. Great, what must have been responsible? We read in Hebrews 11:15, that Abraham called not to mind the city from which he departed – its comfort, its ambience, and its resources. For if he did, when temptation came to return as an alternative to scarcity or difficulty that must be borne, he would have abandoned the journey altogether.

Similarly, if one calls to mind the pleasurable sins which one misses, the convenience of belonging to a family, the reputations one would have earned, and achievements one would have bagged if not for obeying the call to follow Jesus; every temptation to go back will be an enjoyable disguised slippery backsliding slope to our spring source of sins.

It is worth considering that ease does not necessarily prove God’s approval of an errand or event. If anything, the stories of the cloud of witnesses proved the opposite. Abraham landed in Canaan and was greeted on arrival with famine. The wilderness became the home of David upon his choice as Saul’s successor. Vehement persecution was the lot of the apostles immediately after the Pentecost. Paul sailed to Macedonia and on arrival was jailed in one of its biggest provinces - Philippi. They are all but an avenue for us to encounter God and experience His care in a way others cannot.

He relished the reward

There were two things Abraham knew and minded greatly which must have kept him on his pilgrimage. He knew God as He who gives life to the dead³ and calls things to existent that is not⁴. This summarizes creation for us. He knew God could shelter him along the way and give him dominion over all creatures along his way to where God has promised him. He knew God could also give breath to life to quicken from a dead state. So, he was sure of his safety and restoration should any evil befall him. Abraham may have doubted his possibility of giving birth, he might have thoughtlessly taken-in a slave girl; but never doubted the possibility of safe arrival at the destination God had promised him.

Jesus who made strong demands for followership also followed it up with irreversible promises. If those conditions for discipleship being so daunting, admitted weak men who were faithful to respond, one should be convinced that it will cost Jesus nothing to fulfil His promises. It is an agreement. We deny ourselves first. Follow Him, grow in leaps and bound spiritually. And we will find everything restored to us that we initially denied ourselves of to fulfil this purpose. At outset, following Jesus is like casting our bread: family acquaintances, own life, even some entangling possessions upon many waters. What is floated away by the river is one of the hardest to recover. But the bible said we will find ours back⁵. It is ours to believe and respond, it is His to watch and fulfil His promise. The middle east as we know today is occupied by the descendants of Abraham. More than 4,000 years passed and God is still fulfilling His promises.

Therefore, dear friend, just as your mind is troubled by the conditions or the thoughts of attendant denials for following Jesus, cushion it with His promises. It is like carrying a God-given Mastercard along with you on your journey. If you know the worth, you will not lack. God never makes demands without assurance.

Better not start than look back

Jesus is unlike many fake prophets out there who do cajole people into believing their intelligent and emotional schemes. He always makes men count costs by a thorough evaluation. He gives people all the necessary evidences and encouragement there is needed to choose wisely. But once the choice is made, he expects an unrepentant progression towards the mark for which we are called⁶.

Therefore, He said whosever lays his hand on the plough and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God⁷. Now that your sowing season is beginning with ploughing which must have been because Jesus has considered your flickering faithfulness acceptable, looking back is grievous. It is regrettable and dangerous.

To help our progress, it will be worthwhile to consider a man like Elisha. He broke every fruitful and alluring connection to his flourishing profession from which he was called⁸. If he were tempted to return, he would have responded, “I am too ashamed to return. I am too backward to compete. Where do I start?” No wonder when it was time to be empowered, he asked like a voracious predator⁹. His sacred demand scared Elijah. He asked beyond the doings of Elijah by exhausting the vault of His anointing. Thus, Elijah could only link Him directly to God who alone could meet this need¹⁰. Why? He was forward-looking.

On the other hand, the Israelites on their journey from Egypt were filled with men, who though departed from that country, never cast their mind off it. They called to mind all their conveniences and privileges, though as slaves. At each point of severe lack and they never accepted their lot as pilgrims in the wilderness as did their ancestor, Abraham. It is pitiable, how a man would accept terms of slavery in sin against freedom offered by God; just because he cannot see and would not ask for the enlightenment of the eyes of the mind! They were not seeking that better country which God was promising them. What followed? Every difficulty that came their way meant to demonstrate God’s fatherly care and concern to them became a snare and met with ready sharp rebellious remarks on their lips. They were swift to fault God through Moses for taking them out of Egypt. They paid God with evil for doing them good¹¹. Think about it, they may as well not be the only one responding to God this way.

An appraisal

1. What is your condition? Do you also murmur in harsh circumstances? Or let the beauty of the glory of where God is taking you overshadow your heart and sight? If the past is not let go, it will rob the future of all its capabilities.
2. Have you accepted your pilgrim status on earth as a disciple?
3. Have you realized that the world is the wilderness, and in the wilderness, there is no laid path and you must find yours?
4. Do you appreciate that Jesus was very merciful to have accepted the conditions for making Himself the path¹² for us unto the promised land?

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