July Messenger

Luke 9:51 tells us, “When the days drew near for [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (NRSV). Or in another translation, “As the time approached when Jesus was to be taken up into heaven, he determined to go to Jerusalem” (CEB). From this point on until Luke 19:29, Jesus is on his way there. Scholars call it the Travel Narrative. Jesus knows where he is going: to the cross and death. The question is, who will be able to follow him? After all, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).