¹² Jesus also taught his disciples to avoid unnecessary distractions. He said: “Do not greet anyone along the road.” (Luke 10:4) Was Jesus telling them to be cool or aloof? Not at all. In Bible times, greetings often involved much more than a simple hello. Customary greetings included various formalities and lengthy conversation. One Bible scholar states: “Salutations among the Orientals did not consist, as among us, of a slight bow, or extension of the hand, but [were] performed by many embraces, and inclinations, and even prostrations of the body on the ground. All this required much time.” By telling his disciples not to engage in the customary greetings, Jesus was, in a sense, saying: “You must make the most of your time, for the message you bear is urgent.”b

We also recognize the need to avoid distractions. If we are not careful, this system of things can easily sidetrack us. (Luke 21:34-36) This, however, is no time to be distracted. With lives at stake, our message is urgent. (Romans 10:13-15) Keeping a sense of urgency alive in our hearts will prevent us from allowing the distractions of this world to consume time and energy that would be better spent in the ministry. Remember, the time left is short and the harvest is great.​—Matthew 9:37, 38.