“Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62 HCSB

There was something in this man's life that Jesus wanted to cut off right away. like the man in verses 59-60 it was in his family. But for us it may not be. It is something that will take his focus off of God and hold us back from reaching His full potential in our life. (Yes I do mean reaching His full potential because in our selves we can reach a very low potential, but in Jesus, we can reach a much higher potential.)

We all have a past. Jesus set us free from that sometime after our salvation and now. We accepted Jesus and turned away from that past. And sometimes our past shows up to draw us back into it. But we must keep our focus on Jesus and keep pressing ahead and not let our past draw us away from the straight rows we are plowing. If we did let it our row we are working on will turn into a “u” and cut off five or six other rows someone else is working on. 

“Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him. 

Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.” 

“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you? ” 

So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.”

1 Kings 19:19-21 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/1ki.19.19-21.hcsb

When I think of Jesus telling us to not look back while we are plowing I think of Elijah and Elisha. How Elisha took His 24 oxen and sacrificed them for his people and burned up the yokes and plow to cook them. He burned up his past so he could not go back to it. 

“Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of His disciples were together. “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.”

John 21:2-3 HCSB

https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.21.2-3.hcsb

Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples were at a loss of what do. They had been walking with Jesus for the past three and a half years and now Jesus is gone, but they have not been given the Holy Spirit yet. They did not know what else to do so they resorted to their past as fishermen, Cast their nets into the sea all night. Their fishing trip was not like our fishing trips where we stand on the bank or a boat and relax but was hard work throwing a net into the sea. Letting it settle to the bottom. Haul it back into the boat. sort the fish. And repeat till you had enough. 

I don’t blame Peter and the other but I can understand. They had a purpose in life walking with Jesus. And now that Jesus is no longer walking with them they were bored and lost. Even though Jesus was alive after they were still trying to process it all. So they resorted to something to help them think and not spend their time idling in a state of confusion.