Hand to the Plow

For Monday, October 22nd

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:51-62

Hand to the Plow

The gentle sun warms us up
our backs stretch we begin to plow
we have planned our crops
now we must make it all ready.

Leaning in and looking forward
our eyes on the near horizon
for straight and even rows
now is not the time to look back.

The work is hard and thankless
there is always more to do
we have no control over weather
nor the pests that will infest.

For now it seems like the end
we cannot imagine new starts
even as we are bent by the chore
God is making all of us new.

We are called to plant again
to seed the future for other's young
to make room for the growth
despite that we cannot see it now.

Our labor is never in vain
if we but lean in and sing
if we will rejoice in the doing
there will be abundance again.

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