“But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:62
I live in the country, and this time of year I am reminded of God’s faithfulness as I watch the harvest take place all around my home. Field by field, row by row, the work of planting, waiting, and tending begins to show its fruit. Recently, as I watched the cornfield being cut around my house, the Lord brought to mind a story I had heard.
A farmer was teaching his son how to plant corn. It was time for his teenage son to learn how to plant the fields. The father and son got the tractor ready and hooked up the planter. Then it was time for the son to take the seat and plant the field. As the son worked, he kept looking over his shoulder to make sure the planter was working.
The farmer gently grabbed the steering wheel and got his son’s attention. “You must pick a point, like that telephone pole,” he said, “and stare straight at that point. If you keep looking back to see where you have been, you will bump the steering wheel, and that will lead to snakelike rows. This will make it harder to harvest and lead to wasted acres of corn.”
What was true for farmers in the past, as we see in Luke 9, is still true today. A farmer must look ahead and keep the rows straight if he hopes to bring in the crop at the end of the season. In the same way, our hearts must stay fixed on Christ if we desire to walk faithfully with Him.
Jesus says that when a person puts his hand to the plow and looks back, he is not fit for the kingdom of God. This is a sobering verse, but it is also a loving call to wholehearted devotion. The Lord knows how easily our eyes wander, how quickly our hearts become distracted, and how often the past tries to pull us away from present obedience. As I reflected on this passage, I was reminded of three truths we, as believers, need to consider if we are going to follow Jesus faithfully.
First, we need total commitment to Christ. This illustration comes from a man who wanted to say goodbye to his family when he was called to follow Jesus. Yet Jesus’ calling is one of immediate obedience. There are times when the Lord asks us to follow Him without delay, trusting that He is worthy of our full surrender. Our focus as believers must be fixed on Christ above all else. He is the point on which we set our eyes, the One who steadies our steps, and the One who leads us forward as we serve Him on this side of eternity.
Second, without straight rows we will not be able to complete the full harvest in the end. God has given each of us a calling, and we have one life in which to serve Jesus faithfully. The way we walk matters. The choices we make, the words we speak, and the people we reach all become part of the field He has placed before us. When we drift from His direction, we may miss opportunities to point someone to the Savior we know and love. May our desire be like the heart of Jesus, that all would come to repentance and find life in Him.
Finally, when we look back, it can cause us to dwell on the past. Old habits, former failures, and painful regrets can all become distractions if we allow them to take our eyes off Christ. The enemy would love for us to keep staring at what is behind us, but Jesus calls us to keep moving forward in grace. The past cannot be changed, but it can be surrendered. As we look to Christ, He gives us strength to walk in obedience today and hope for the harvest still to come.
Life can be hard at times. There will be rough ground, rocky places, and seasons when the work feels long. But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, He is faithful to guide us through every field He has called us to plow. He strengthens tired hands, steadies wandering hearts, and reminds us that the harvest belongs to Him. One day, by His grace, we will stand before Him and hear those precious words: “Well done, My good and faithful servant. Great is your reward!” Do not be distracted by what is behind you. Fix your eyes on Jesus, walk forward in faith, and trust Him for the harvest.
Leave a Reply