57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 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.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus1 said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Section Overview
The theme in this section is discipleship; we just saw how James and John (and really all the disciples) do not have a good idea of what discipleship involves, since they do not grasp that Jesus is going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. In this text Jesus challenges three men about the cost of discipleship. He reminds the first that there is no settled place, no real home, for his disciples. He teaches the second and third that following Jesus takes precedence over family, even over what were deemed to be fundamental responsibilities of a family member in the ancient world.
Section Outline
IV. Galilee to Jerusalem: Discipleship (9:51–19:27)
A. The Journey Begins (9:51–13:21)
1. The Call of Disciples (9:51–10:24) . . .
b. Cost of Following Jesus (9:57–62)
Response
We see in these verses that following Jesus requires uncompromising commitment. A judge friend of mine said we must beware of “fuffrah”—fluffy Christianity that does not fit with costly discipleship. We tend to say to those who are half-interested that they are at least “in the circle,” but Jesus challenges us, asking if we are serious about following him; he rejects half-hearted followers. We learn that family does not come first—Jesus does. Perhaps God will call some of us to proclaim the gospel in dangerous places. Let us never make an idol of our families so that family relationships become more important than the kingdom of God. I have heard people say that they will not go to a certain place because of the weather or because it is too far from family, but as disciples of Jesus we cannot and must not say such things. We must be willing to go wherever and whenever Jesus wants us to go. We cannot tell God how close we will be to our parents or children. Of course, we cannot follow him apart from his grace or apart from his Spirit in our hearts. And, when we follow him, he will grant us joy inexpressible and full of glory. We will have no regrets or remorse for doing his will. We will be full of joy that the world does not understand.