62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Becoming a Jesus-follower requires a break with the past, a new start. That does not mean, as some cults practice that, contact with family, friends and former life is cut off completely. Instead, the loyalties change. The pull to the new connections becomes greater than the pull to the old. This happens in marriage as well. Part of the “leaving and cleaving” that takes place in marriage is the realignment of loyalties. Momma does not have the same place in your life. Your spouse and new family become a greater connection and pull. Many couples struggle with this transition. They often feel like their families will hate them for abandoning the old ties. But separation and space is a healthy trait of families. There has to be both connection and flexibility. Negotiating this change with family of origin can be a hornet’s nest when that family had rigid structure and rules. Kids often exit rapidly from such families in an effort to escape the tight control. But then they are often torn between mending the connection and the establishing of a new family of their own. It is often hard to have connection with the original family without being sucked back into its rigid structure. Jesus’ instruction to the man who asked if he could go back and say goodbye to his family helps give us the reasons for the break. If someone plowing a field does not look straight ahead the furrows will not be straight. If fact, if they are looking backward, eventually he will have plowed a U-turn. Where we look is where we end up traveling. You have probably noticed that when you were driving. If you became distracted by something along the road and followed it with your eyes, you probably drifted out of your lane leading to a sudden correction of direction upon discovery. Cell phone usage also provides a powerful distraction. That is why many places are banning their use while driving. As Jesus-followers we must keep our focus on the Kingdom. If we don’t we will drift off course.
The Arnold Journey 