Resilience

            I took this picture on a recent hike. If you look in the bottom left corner of the picture you will see mature trees growing together far below. This one grew in a very inhospitable place and to me it represents overcoming adversity and difficulty.

This little tree, standing alone, is about 2,300 metres above sea level and surviving. It is here because a seed landed in this inhospitable spot, found a bit of soil, germinated and began to grow. I don’t know how old it is. In a regular setting in a town or city it may be three or four years old. At this elevation it may be ten or fifteen years old. It is much harder to survive and grow at this elevation with almost no soil. Yet, if it survives the snow and rain storms that will come its way, the long periods in hot sun and the lack of soil, something remarkable will take place. It will grow, produce cones and seeds, those seeds will fall on the rock and look for a place to germinate and eventually a community will grow up around this resilient little tree.

When we look at our lives Jesus encourages us to be like this tree. Well, not in so many words but through illustration.

⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 (NKJV)

The context is Jesus calling people to follow him but then excusing themselves because they have some other matters to attend to before they follow Him.

            Let’s think this through. In Jesus day you plowed alone. There was an animal in front pulling the plow. Your job was threefold, guide the animal, guide the plow and make a proper furrow deep enough for whatever seeds you were planting. Growing up with a large garden under my grandfather’s work and oversight I learned different seeds required different spacing and depth to grow properly.

Now back to Jesus’ illustration and warning about looking back. A literal rendering of the Greek would be ‘look/looking in the behind.’ In this case not in the ‘behind’ of the donkey or ox but back behind yourself. Similar to the story of Lot’s wife. She looked back because she longed to remain in Sodom and she died with the rest of the people of Sodom because in her heart she was still there.

In plowing, if you were looking back the animal may keep going but the plow would not be making a straight furrow, not maintain the proper depth and would not be fit for sowing. If you were planting for your family, they would have no harvest as you wouldn’t have even properly completed the first step, preparing the soil for planting.

Jesus’ point is that to step into a new life you need to make a decision and stand alone, firm in your decision, not looking back and longing for your former life. It is well said that ‘God has no grandchildren.’ We are not saved by the faith of our parents, friends or a local church leader. We are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light when we alone make that firm decision (Colossians 1:13).

Now, unlike the tree, we are immediately part of a family and have support around us. At the same time, we need to avail ourselves of this support, and like the little tree need to stand in spite of circumstances. Jesus promises us a fruitful life if we faithfully follow Him (John 15:5), He never promises an easy life.

In scripture we see Joseph betrayed by his brothers, as a slave betrayed by his owner’s wife and needing to resiliently stand, trusting Yahweh. We see Elijah standing against the prophets of Baal and the king and queen. We see Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel and many others swimming against the tide of popular opinion. There are more in the great hall of faith in Hebrews 11. In difficult circumstances they all stood.

What they all had in common was a reliance on Yahweh and others they could lean on for support. Elijah had the school of the prophets and later Elisha. Daniel had his three friends, and others sought out other supports. They all found someone. The little tree is standing in difficult circumstances but it would do better with the support of added soil and regular watering. Thus, while it is a picture of resilience and we are called to be resolute in our decision to follow Jesus, our success is much more likely if we look to our fellow believers for support in our journey.

  I close with something Billy Graham said decades ago. When asked the secret to success he responded, “Find a group of people and grow old together.”  If you don’t have those people, seek them out.