Take some time at dinner one night this week to read this fun fact and then discuss some of the questions.
Did you know...
…that the last part of the gospel story this week is a reference to a much earlier story in the bible. At the end of the gospel this week a potential disciple says to Jesus that they will follow but only after they return home to say goodbye to their family. Jesus responds by saying that anyone who "puts a hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."
But Jesus must have been thinking of another story when he said this: the story of the prophet Elijah calling Elisha to follow him in 1 Kings. In that story, though, Elijah calls Elisha to follow him while he is plowing his fields but then does allow him to go say goodbye to his father and mother. I wonder why Jesus didn't let this person return home when Elijah let Elisha go back to say goodbye.
Questions for Discussion:
1) Have you ever felt interested in doing something but talked yourself out of it? What was it and why didn't you do it?
2) When was a time it was hard to say goodbye?