When the Tsunami’s Behind You

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:51-62

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he 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 towards 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 plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

In one of the most intense moments of Netflix’s series La Palma, two of the main characters, Fredrik and Marie, find themselves in a small boat, trying to escape an impending tsunami. As they speed the boat forward, Marie keeps turning around, her eyes fixed on the humongous wave coming closer and closer. She is terrified. Fredrik yells at her, “Look forward!” His voice is firm…urging her to keep her eyes fixed ahead, on where they are going, and not focusing on what is behind them.

This moment presents a strong metaphor for our life’s challenges that is also found in our Gospel. Just like Marie kept turning around, looking at what was behind her, so we often focus on what’s behind us…past mistakes, past hurts, past failures. And when we do this, it can stop us from moving forward. Fredrik’s insistence on looking ahead is a reminder that if we give the past too much power, it can prevent us from moving, from going where Jesus might be calling us to go.

This message underlies our Gospel. Today we hear about a Samaritan village that didn’t welcome Jesus. This annoyed the disciples, who wanted revenge: “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them—and then moved on to another village.

This moment reflects the long-standing tension between Jews and Samaritans. Although they shared some religious roots, their differences created deep division. So, it’s not surprising that the Samaritans didn’t welcome Jesus. The disciples’ response seems extreme, but it’s also deeply real. When someone treats us unfairly, our first impulse is often anger. We want them to feel what we’re feeling. We want them to know they’ve hurt us.

But Jesus doesn’t go there. He doesn’t say a word about the rejection, he doesn’t try to explain or understand it…he just lets it go and moves on.

Then, as they travel, people come forward, eager to follow him. But one says he needs to bury his father first. Another wants to go back and say goodbye to his family.

These requests seem completely reasonable. In Jesus’ time, burying your parents wasn’t just a personal duty; it was a religious and cultural obligation. Saying goodbye to loved ones was a way of honouring relationship and community. These were not trivial things, but signs of love and commitment.

And yet Jesus says: “Let the dead bury their own dead... No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

It sounds harsh…until we see that Jesus isn’t condemning grief or saying family doesn’t matter. He’s naming how easily we can become anchored in what was—in the obligations, expectations, or even heartbreaks of the past—so much so that we never actually move.

The Gospel is, then, about forward movement. It’s not about ignoring the past—but it is about refusing to be ruled by it. And that’s where the scene from La Palma fits so well. Marie keeps turning around in the boat, staring at what’s behind her…the fear, the danger, the wave. Fredrik urges her to keep her eyes forward—just like Jesus does in the Gospel, and just like he does for us today.

Jesus says: you can’t plow a straight path if your eyes are always on what’s behind you. What he means is that none of us can reach the new life he is calling us to take up, if we’re always turning around and focusing on the past…if we allow what has already happened to paralyse us, control us, prevent us from acting.

But actually living in this way, its not easy at all…especially when it comes to things like rejection, or someone doing us wrong. I know that, for me anyways, I keep looking at things from my past, turning moments over and over, until they shape how I see everything else. And before I know it, it becomes my own tsunami and I am so stuck that I can’t even move. Maybe this is your reality too.

But Jesus is telling us that we don’t have to live like this. One rejection doesn’t need to define us. One failure isn’t the sum of our lives. He was rejected by an entire village—and he didn’t respond with anger. He didn’t let it stop him. He just let it go and kept moving forward.

So, if you find yourself running from a massive tsunami…carrying rejection, old wounds, or regrets…remember this passage. Remember Jesus, moving on from the Samaritan village, even when they didn’t welcome him. Remember his words to those would-be followers…not to dwell on what’s behind, but to step forward into what’s ahead. Today, Jesus is calling us to do the same…to keep moving, one step at a time, with our eyes fixed on what lies in front of us. Because no matter what your tsunami looks like, no matter what is weighing you down or holding you back, you are not alone. God is with you. God is in your boat, encouraging you: “Look forward. Keep going. Follow me—I’ll lead you where you need to go.” Amen.