That Was A Good Answer

Sunday morning Bible study has become a routine. Most weeks following the church service, I have the privilege of leading 10-15 Gmz guys in a study of a new passage in our drafted translation of Luke’s gospel in preparation for one of them to preach it the following week. I love it…most of the time. Well, last week hadn’t been easy. I was tired, the guys were tired, and my words seem to evaporate like the light desperately rushing into the open windows only to get soaked up by the dark brown mud walls. But this, I told myself, was a new week. Sure, the bright sunlight still struggled to illuminate our dim corner and we still sat carefully on the tippy church benches, but I had high hopes in discussion of this new passage – Luke 9:57-62.

 

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go. ⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  ⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  ⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

 

The meeting began with a connection to the previous passage, which was followed by a quick read through and talk through the various conversations Jesus had along the road. In record time, I had questioned through what I wanted to surface in our discussion, and as usual, I then opened up the floor for any additional comments. Tesfaye, to my immediate right, said in typical Gmz style “Eh, ah dashi’” which loosely translated means “What the heck! This is tough stuff!” I silently nodded my head, but apparently that wasn’t enough of a response. Dewan, the member of the Gesas translation team with the brightest mind, spoke up first, explaining again some of the important points of the passage. Next came Habtamu, the member of the Gesas translation team with the biggest heart, describing the importance of leaving all else behind to follow Jesus and preach his gospel message. Before Habtamu could finish, the room began to pop with conversation. Unable to conceal my smile, I leaned back and listened as best as I could. We had been meeting like this for more than 10 months and never before had I seen the Gmz church leaders embrace and engage a text this much. I thanked God for being able to be a fly on that mud wall.

Then again, I shouldn’t have been surprised. My mind wandered back to the first time we encountered this passage in the translation office. Undistracted by the rainy season’s all-too-common pitter patter on the tin roof above our heads, we were hard at work trying to finish chapter nine. Noses to the grindstone, we had been in this long chapter for what felt like weeks, and so, finally after putting the final period on verse 62, I slouched deep into the backrest of my plastic chair. It’s not unusual that, whenever there is a pause in translating, the Gmz guys start their own conversation amongst themselves. It’s also not unusual that I am completely lost as to what they are talking about. After a bit, I tuned back into my surroundings, sat up and turned my attention again to the computer screen. Normally, this non-verbal action is enough to wrap up any side-conversation and get us back into the text, but not so this time. I gave them a few moments before turning my head toward the main speaker. “What are you talking about?” I asked with a certain level of displeasure, expecting to get an answer like “Our assessment of the finale episode of LOST,” or “The chances of the Cubs taking the pennant next year.” Just kidding, but I honestly didn’t expect the answer that I did receive, “Makwaak’oma dagah.” (“That was a good answer”). “What?” I asked for clarification. Work’u’s smile straightened in seriousness, “Jesus’ answer…it was really good. You can’t plow a field if you are looking backward.” Yes, of course, Jesus’ answer! I had long crossed that verse off my to-do list and mentally transitioned to work that awaited us in chapter ten. My co-translators, on the other hand, had gotten stuck on the profoundness, wisdom and truth in Jesus’ response. Coming from a culture that actually plows by hand, they know very well that someone distracted by something behind him cannot keep a straight line in the soil. So also the distracted minster of the gospel cannot serve well. The Gmz in the translation office that morning were struck with Jesus’ wisdom and changed as a result.

 

Likewise, when Tesfaye encountered this passage for the first time during our Sunday morning Bible study, he too was struck to the core – Jesus is asking a lot here. And the translators, the same three who wrestled with this text six months earlier, where right there, willing to speak up and help Tesfaye and the other 10 guys in the room process through its implications. It was a beautiful glimpse at a Bible translators’ greatest dream come true, seeing Scripture not only used, but changing lives! And not only changing lives, but spreading! No credit to me, only God can make that happen! I just have the privilege of a front row seat.