Our text for today is the Gospel reading but especially these words: “Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”
There is a movie called Failure to Launch, in which a grown man, in his thirties, refuses to move out of his parents' house. Now, his parents are like any others. They love him, and for years they have provided for him in every way possible. However, it's gotten to the point now, that they just want him out. You see, his living there is not on account of some hardship; it is not as though he is in a time of need. We could probably assume, for instance, most parents would take their children in if they had no other place to go. But that’s not the case with this man. He has a good job, he is able to live on his own; he just chooses not to.
So, needless to say, his parents become pretty desperate. Running out of ideas, they seek out professional help. That’s right, they hire someone with the sole purpose of bringing a little motivation to his life. And as we know, the best motivation for a man, is...? A woman. She was to fake a relationship, and as this mock relationship grew, she would then be able to talk him into moving out of his folks' place.
Now, as one who has young children of my own, this movie got me thinking. It makes you wonder how good you want your children to have it, doesn’t it? In other words, if they have it too good, they may never want to leave. But we can all appreciate it though; there is just something about home. You can move away for years, but every time you come home, there is just something about it. It feels right, there is a comfort and familiarity that you just don’t find in other places. It’s home, and chances are it will always feel like home.
Now I bring this up today because there is no question in anyone's mind that St. Matthew’s – this place – has been “home” for so many people throughout its 137 years of ministry and service. For some, St. Matthew’s was that home they could turn to when they found themselves in need of support, comfort, and council from their Heavenly Father. It was that home that, regardless of what was going on in the world around them, always provided a sense of stability and continuity. And for some – those who have moved away, some of whom are here with us today – it has been that home you visit from time to time. And you could always tell when they walked in; that feeling you get when coming home.
In a very real way, St. Matthew’s has been home for so many people. God, in His love and care for His children, established and built a home for them right here. A home where He could care for them. A home where He was always to be found. What a wonderful blessing it is to know our God is one Who provides for us in every way, Who provides for us a place where He is able to offer us that protection, guidance and comfort we so often need in our lives. A home where He feeds us spiritually through His Word and Sacraments. And His door is always open. Open that we might receive from Him the wonderful joys and blessings He gives to us.
And as we consider how wonderful it has been to have this home, it does us good to consider for a moment our Lord, and His ministry here on earth. Someone said to Him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Here is Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Almighty Himself, wandering with no place, no home to call His own.
It reminds us of what our Lord was willing to give up when He became man for us. He gave up His throne, His exalted place in the Heavens, all to save us from sin and death; to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our salvation. When we consider how important home is for so many people, how it is a source of peace and rest, let it only remind us today of what Christ was willing to give up for us.
And we know throughout His ministry, there were those times when Jesus could have used a visit back home, surrounding himself with the familiar, the comfortable. When people opposed Him, seeking only to find fault, how nice it would have been for him to just get away for a couple of days, and find rest back at home. Or those times when his own disciples abandoned Him, how reassuring home would have been for Him. Or instead of the cross as His final destination, how much easier it would have been to return home to live His remaining years among the household.
But He had nowhere to lay His head. And our Lord was not concerned with those things. His days were focused on proclaiming the Kingdom of God; His path led Him not simply to retire comfortably in His hometown, but to the cross.
We read in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.” There is a danger that exists today, brothers and sisters. In response to those natural emotions we may be experiencing – feelings of sorrow and even mourning – there will be those who reach the conclusion that what takes place today is unfortunate, and even regrettable. In the midst of those feelings, we need to find consolation in God’s Word, a Word that assures us these feelings do not reflect God’s disapproval, but are a response to God’s Will being done among us. We must hear God’s Word concerning our lives as His disciples.
“There is a time to plant, and a time to uproot.” Hear Him as He speaks to His disciples in the Holy Gospel: “The Son of Man has no where to lay His head. Let the dead bury the dead. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” And hear the Lord’s Word through the mouth of the Apostle Paul: “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” As disciples, let us not close our ears to the Lord’s own warning to us. If you want to follow Christ, there are going to be times just like these…when you feel like you don’t have a place to lay your head. He tells us these things so when the time comes we can rise and walk with Him, we can walk the path He has laid before us.
For years, people used to ask me where home was. And for a period of time, that was not a simple question to answer for my sisters and me. As the children of a pastor, there were times when we felt like we were being uprooted. Sure, in time, as we got older, we understood it was where the Lord was sending our father; but as children, it still felt like we were being uprooted. I never knew if home should be the last place my family lived, or the place we lived for the longest time. Is home where you were born, where you spent your younger years, or high school years?
Well, what I realized is home was the place where our family would come together. It never mattered what house it was in, what town, or even state. Home was where your parents were, and where the familiar sounds, smells and people were.
You see, the home our Heavenly Father gives us is not defined by a physical structure. Rather, it is found only through the familiar voice of a loving Heavenly Father. It is centered on His Word, a familiar Word that proclaims His love for us, and the salvation we receive through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And just like most homes, you find a most familiar meal in the Lord’s Super. The very Body and precious Blood of our Lord, given for the forgiveness of sins, the feeding of our souls, and strengthening of our bodies.
That is home. So today, though we are saddened, this is not a loss. Though we move beyond the building where so many have laid their heads, our Lord continues to come to us. Today, we find ourselves simply facing the same challenge those who wished to follow Christ faced years ago. He places a call before us, a call that is reflective of His own life, that is consistent with His own Word. And with one voice, we have said that we will not allow a building to keep us from moving forward as God’s chosen and called children. As one body, we have taken hold of the plow, moving forward, serving God’s purposes according to His will. Following Him will bring times like these. It will require a faith that the Lord is always with us. It will require a faith that understands our Home is with our Father, where He comes to us today, and where He brings us for all eternity.
Until that day when we arrive at home with those who have gone before us, those who laid the bricks of this building, those shepherds who proclaimed God’s grace from this very pulpit, let us take hold of the plow and not look back. Let us proclaim today, with no less force than any other day, “Lord, we will follow You wherever You may go”. We follow You till the day You give us that ultimate rest, and when we lay our heads down, beside You in Heaven.
Give Thanks!!! For whatever sadness you feel today is only a reflection of how good God has been. Our Father has been so giving that it’s hard for His children to leave. But now you go forward today with the Lord. Let us not fail to launch. Instead, let us leave here knowing God continues to work in our lives, that we, following our Lord, might continue to proclaim the kingdom of God to all people. May this be true for all of us. AMEN.
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