6-29-25 “No Excuses, if You Love”

Click here for worship material

“No Excuses, if You Love”

I want to start with something funny that I found an internet site: A young man called his mother and announced excitedly that he had just met the woman of his dreams, and asked his mother, “Now what should he do?” His mother had an idea, “Why don’t you send her flowers and on the card invite her to your place for a home-cooked meal?” He thought this was a great strategy and arranged a date for a week later. His mother called the day after the big date to see how things had gone. “The evening was a disaster,” he moaned. “Why didn’t she come over?” asked his mother. “Oh, she came over, but she refused to cook.”

Do you remember the first time you met your spouse? What made you decide to marry them? When I was serving a younger congregation in Chicago, most of the members were in their twenties and thirties—and most of them were single. As you can imagine, the most exciting thing for them was having a boyfriend or girlfriend. If someone had a blind date, everyone would gather around to hear how it went.

If they didn’t like the person, they always had many reasons—too short, too old, no sense of humor, talked too much, boring, didn’t make enough money, and so on. But if they liked the person, they would simply say, “I like him,” or “I like her.” That’s it. No reason or explanation needed. I learned something important from them: when you don’t like something or someone, you can find a thousand reasons. But when you do, there’s often just one—you simply love them. Love, in the end, covers everything.

When you fall in love, it doesn’t matter whether someone is tall or short, attractive or plain, funny or boring, a great cook or not. If you love them, you go after what—or whom—you love. If you love your spouse, your friends, or your coworkers, you often find yourself following their lead—because love shapes your choices. No excuses, if you love.
When Jesus called His disciples, they followed Him without any questions. Mark 1:16–20 shows us how they responded to His call: “As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

How could this happen? I’ve often wondered how they were able to follow Jesus so quickly—without hesitation or questions. The answer is: because it was Jesus. The Holy Spirit may have already been at work in their hearts, guiding them to recognize and respond to His call.

Now think about this: how many people have you seen immediately follow you when you invite them to church? Even among your own family members, it’s rare for someone to come right away—especially to a regular Sunday service. Of course, on Christmas, Easter, or for a special event, it might be easier to get them to say yes.

But don’t be discouraged by your loved ones who haven’t followed yet. Remember, it’s not about you—it’s about the Spirit. It’s about prayer and patience, not just your love or effort. Don’t give up. Keep inviting them. Keep praying. As you continue to ask them with a heart full of hope and prayer, the Holy Spirit will guide them—just as the Holy Spirit once guided the first disciples.

In today’s Scripture (Luke 9:51–62), we see a contrast. Some people did not follow Jesus when He called them. This was the final stage of Jesus’ public ministry. He had already set His face toward Jerusalem—His mind and mission were urgent. He intended to take a shortcut through a Samaritan village, but the Samaritans wouldn’t allow Him to pass through.
Why? Because the Jews wouldn’t allow Samaritans to worship at the Jerusalem Temple—they were seen as Gentiles, outsiders. So, the Samaritans returned the sentiment: if they weren’t welcome in Jerusalem, they wouldn’t let Jesus and His followers pass through.

The disciples were upset. James and John asked, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” They were angry that anyone would dare reject Jesus. But they didn’t fully understand who Jesus was. If people don’t accept your invitation to church, pray for them—they may not know who Jesus truly is yet.
Jesus continued calling people to follow Him. But many had excuses. One said, “I will follow you, but let me first bury my father.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me say farewell to those at home.” Their responses were very different from those of the first disciples. We may wonder: what’s wrong with burying a loved one before following Jesus? Why did Jesus reply, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God”?

To understand this, we need to consider the cultural background. According to the Law (Numbers 6:6; Leviticus 21:10–11), religious leaders were prohibited from touching a dead body before worshiping God. They believed touching the dead made them unclean.

Remember the story of the Good Samaritan? A priest and a Levite passed by the injured man, afraid of becoming unclean. But a Samaritan—who didn’t follow that law—stopped and helped with loving care. Jesus taught us to act like the Good Samaritan. So, when Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead,” He was showing that the Law is meant to serve love. The Law without love becomes violence. Those who keep the Law without love are spiritually dead. Jesus never rejected the Law. He said, “Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Because Jesus is love, the Law is fulfilled in Him.

Paul writes: “If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2–3)
Love is everything. If you love, there are no excuses. God sent Jesus because He loves us. Jesus died on the cross because He loves us. We follow Jesus because we love God—there is no other reason to be a Christian. Open your mind and heart so that God may work in you. Walk with Jesus each day. Don’t look back at the things of this world. No excuses—if you love Jesus.
Jesus says, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” If you say farewell to the world to walk with Jesus, don’t desire it anymore. Remember Lot’s wife—she looked back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). To walk with Jesus, we may need to give something up. But remember, there is only one reason God calls us: love. Let us love God and love one another—day by day.

Thanks be to God. Amen.