And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
To take up the work of following Christ and then turn or look behind unfits a person for the kingdom of God, for looking back brings dizziness and letting go brings ruin. Fitness for the kingdom calls for singleness of purpose and a prepared heart, shown in full, willing and unselfish consecration to the place God appoints, with self denied and toil, hardship and sacrifice accepted in trust. Duty to God's cause and work must come before earthly ties and personal interests, while family duties remain in their secondary place and personal sympathies are not allowed to hinder labor for God. Beginning is not enough, for one must keep on without swerving from allegiance, without failure or discouragement, and without working at cross purposes with God. This perseverance was learned by Elisha while guiding the plow in the field in firm reliance on God, and lived out when he would not be drawn back to his former home nor parted from Elijah at Bethel, Jericho and Jordan, but stayed to prepare for service and proved true through trial.
Undivided Commitment Required
Having put the hand to the plough to follow Christ, no one must turn back or look back. To look back is to grow dizzy, and to let go is to perish. Duty to God's cause and work must take priority over earthly ties and personal concerns. Family responsibilities remain, but they are secondary, and personal sympathies must not be allowed to interfere with labor for God. Such divided commitment leaves one unfit for the kingdom of God, which calls for full, willing, unselfish consecration even at sacrifice of personal feeling.
Fitness for the kingdom requires singleness of purpose and a heart prepared to do God's work. It requires full, willing, unselfish consecration and devotion to duty in filling the place the Lord designs. This means denying self and accepting toil, hardship, and sacrifice for Christ. The true follower is ready either to keep on in weary labor or to give life itself in sacrifice, trusting God to work according to faith.
The saying belongs to Christ's teaching that the disciples were to study and remember as trials and persecutions approached. With hearts in full harmony with Christ they were to understand His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord, so that light and understanding increase continually. Gaining eternal life through faith and perfect obedience is not easy, but requires constant striving to overcome the enemy with personal effort and spiritual vigilance. No one is carried to an incorruptible inheritance without earnest human effort, and relaxing diligence leads to selfishness and self-indulgence. Putting the hand to the plough, together with the altar, is an experience for all who seek eternal life, a practical lesson of the Word teaching living, holy principles to be presented to children in the home and in the school, to be brought into daily life here and carried into the school above as the higher education that reaches into eternity.
Faithful Perseverance in Service
Beginning the work of following Christ is not enough; what is required is to continue without swerving from allegiance, without turning back, without failure or discouragement, and without working at cross purposes with God. Those who have begun God's work must remain faithful and obedient and keep laboring without discouragement, and must not abandon it when the labor is difficult or the field is unpromising, difficult, or neglected. Christ is the example of this consecration and obedience to the work entrusted to Him while on earth, and every child of God and follower of His lives in it.
Elisha first learned this lesson while literally ploughing in the field and guiding a plow, learning perseverance, determination, and firm reliance upon God. He then lived it when he set his hand to the plough in another line of work as Elijah's attendant and successor, standing in Elijah's place; he resisted the pull and thoughts of his former home, would not be diverted from his purpose, and remained faithful through trials, relying on God and proving true to his mission. He met every trial of faith and every opportunity and invitation to separate from Elijah and stay behind at Bethel, Jericho, and Jordan with the fixed resolve not to leave him while he could still prepare for service.
The greatest qualification for a man in a position of trust is to obey implicitly the Word of the Lord at all times and in all places, firm and straightforward in following His directions. Reason may be exercised on other subjects, but where God has spoken no reasoning is to be admitted; faithfulness over a few things calls to highest honor, while any deviation to follow the devising or planning of men who have no connection with God disqualifies one from being depended on as trustworthy. Had the man kept going after he first set his hand to the plow, he could have become a messenger of light to those in darkness, but pride, love of praise and money, and refusal to counsel with fellow believers hindered that service, and he could not be used for God's glory until he learned humility and cooperation.
To take up the work of following Christ and then turn or look behind unfits a person for the kingdom of God, for looking back brings dizziness and letting go brings ruin. Fitness for the kingdom calls for singleness of purpose and a prepared heart, shown in full, willing and unselfish consecration to the place God appoints, with self denied and toil, hardship and sacrifice accepted in trust. Duty to God's cause and work must come before earthly ties and personal interests, while family duties remain in their secondary place and personal sympathies are not allowed to hinder labor for God. Beginning is not enough, for one must keep on without swerving from allegiance, without failure or discouragement, and without working at cross purposes with God. This perseverance was learned by Elisha while guiding the plow in the field in firm reliance on God, and lived out when he would not be drawn back to his former home nor parted from Elijah at Bethel, Jericho and Jordan, but stayed to prepare for service and proved true through trial.
Undivided Commitment Required
Having put the hand to the plough to follow Christ, no one must turn back or look back. To look back is to grow dizzy, and to let go is to perish. Duty to God's cause and work must take priority over earthly ties and personal concerns. Family responsibilities remain, but they are secondary, and personal sympathies must not be allowed to interfere with labor for God. Such divided commitment leaves one unfit for the kingdom of God, which calls for full, willing, unselfish consecration even at sacrifice of personal feeling.
Fitness for the kingdom requires singleness of purpose and a heart prepared to do God's work. It requires full, willing, unselfish consecration and devotion to duty in filling the place the Lord designs. This means denying self and accepting toil, hardship, and sacrifice for Christ. The true follower is ready either to keep on in weary labor or to give life itself in sacrifice, trusting God to work according to faith.
The saying belongs to Christ's teaching that the disciples were to study and remember as trials and persecutions approached. With hearts in full harmony with Christ they were to understand His work and what He will do for those who follow on to know the Lord, so that light and understanding increase continually. Gaining eternal life through faith and perfect obedience is not easy, but requires constant striving to overcome the enemy with personal effort and spiritual vigilance. No one is carried to an incorruptible inheritance without earnest human effort, and relaxing diligence leads to selfishness and self-indulgence. Putting the hand to the plough, together with the altar, is an experience for all who seek eternal life, a practical lesson of the Word teaching living, holy principles to be presented to children in the home and in the school, to be brought into daily life here and carried into the school above as the higher education that reaches into eternity.
Faithful Perseverance in Service
Beginning the work of following Christ is not enough; what is required is to continue without swerving from allegiance, without turning back, without failure or discouragement, and without working at cross purposes with God. Those who have begun God's work must remain faithful and obedient and keep laboring without discouragement, and must not abandon it when the labor is difficult or the field is unpromising, difficult, or neglected. Christ is the example of this consecration and obedience to the work entrusted to Him while on earth, and every child of God and follower of His lives in it.
Elisha first learned this lesson while literally ploughing in the field and guiding a plow, learning perseverance, determination, and firm reliance upon God. He then lived it when he set his hand to the plough in another line of work as Elijah's attendant and successor, standing in Elijah's place; he resisted the pull and thoughts of his former home, would not be diverted from his purpose, and remained faithful through trials, relying on God and proving true to his mission. He met every trial of faith and every opportunity and invitation to separate from Elijah and stay behind at Bethel, Jericho, and Jordan with the fixed resolve not to leave him while he could still prepare for service.
The greatest qualification for a man in a position of trust is to obey implicitly the Word of the Lord at all times and in all places, firm and straightforward in following His directions. Reason may be exercised on other subjects, but where God has spoken no reasoning is to be admitted; faithfulness over a few things calls to highest honor, while any deviation to follow the devising or planning of men who have no connection with God disqualifies one from being depended on as trustworthy. Had the man kept going after he first set his hand to the plow, he could have become a messenger of light to those in darkness, but pride, love of praise and money, and refusal to counsel with fellow believers hindered that service, and he could not be used for God's glory until he learned humility and cooperation.