57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:57-62 KJV)
The Cost of Following Jesus
We have here an account of three different people who offered themselves to follow Christ. These three men appear to believe in Jesus already, but at this point, they wanted to join Jesus’ ministry full-time, just like Peter and the other disciples. The passage also contains the responses Christ gave to each of them. The first two are also found in Matthew 8:19-22.
The first man who wanted to follow Jesus
The first man was eager to follow Jesus immediately, but seems to have been too rash and inconsiderate, and had not stopped to count the cost.
He makes Christ a very strong promise (Luke 9:57): As they went on the way, going up to Jerusalem, where it was expected Christ would first appear in his glory, one said to him, “Lord, I will follow you wherever you go.” This must be the resolution of all who will truly be Christ’s disciples; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes (Revelation 14:4), even through fire and water, prisons and death. Christ gives him a necessary caution—not to expect great things in the world by following him, but rather to expect poverty and hardship; for the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
This passage shows the profound humility that our Lord Jesus experienced during his time on Earth. He not only lacked the pleasures and luxuries that great princes usually enjoy, but even the basic necessities that foxes and birds have. See how deep a poverty our Lord Jesus accepted for us—to increase the worth of his sacrifice and purchase for us a richer portion of grace, that we through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He who made all did not make a home for himself, not even a house of his own to sleep in, but relied on the generosity of others.
He calls himself the Son of Man, a Son of Adam, sharing in human nature. He rejoices in humbling himself for us, not only by taking on our nature, but also by living in the humblest condition in that nature, to show his love and to teach us a holy disregard for worldly greatness and a constant focus on the world to come. Christ was poor to make poverty easier to bear for his people. The apostles had no permanent home (1 Corinthians 4:11), which they could better accept knowing their Master didn’t either (2 Samuel 11:11). We should be content to live as Christ did.
This is also a reminder for anyone who wants to follow Christ. We must let go of worldly ambitions and not expect more from our faith than heaven—just as we shouldn’t settle for less. We can’t mix following Christ with chasing worldly success. Christ has separated the two, and we must accept that. Instead, we should expect hardship, self-denial, and carrying our cross. Jesus made it clear that following him means discomfort and rejection. If someone isn’t willing to accept that, they shouldn’t pretend to follow him. This warning may have turned the man away—but it won’t discourage anyone who truly knows the worth of Christ and heaven.
The second man who wanted to follow Jesus
Here is another who seems determined to follow Christ, but he asks for a delay (Luke 9:59). To this man, Christ gave the call: “Follow me.” The one who volunteered before withdrew when he learned the difficulties involved, but this man, whom Christ directly called, though he hesitated at first, apparently obeyed in the end. So true is what Christ said, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16). It is not our will or effort (as in the earlier eager but shallow response), but God’s mercy and call that make the difference, as it did with this man.
The excuse he made was: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father. I have an elderly father at home who will not live much longer and needs me while he is alive; let me stay and care for him, and once I have performed my last duty of love, I will follow you.”
We see three common temptations that can keep us from following Christ and which we must guard against:
- First, we may settle for a vague kind of discipleship—without full commitment.
- Second, we may delay what we know is our duty, putting it off until after some other goal is reached. When we’ve handled a certain task or gained financial security, then we’ll think about being religious. In this way, we waste all our time by continually putting off the present moment.
- Third, we may think our responsibilities to family excuse us from our responsibilities to Christ. It sounds reasonable: “Let me go and bury my father—let me care for my family and provide for my children—and then I’ll serve Christ.” But the kingdom of God and his righteousness must come first.
Christ’s answer (Luke 9:60) was: “Let the dead bury their own dead. Even if, which is unlikely, only those who are themselves dying or inactive are left to bury the dead, you have other work to do—go and preach the kingdom of God.”
Christ doesn’t teach his followers or ministers to be unloving or neglectful. Our faith calls us to kindness and faithfulness in every relationship, to show respect at home and honor our parents. But we must not let these responsibilities become excuses for neglecting our duty to God. If even the closest relationship hinders our commitment to Christ, we must show the kind of zeal that forgets father and mother, like Levi did (Deuteronomy 33:9). This man was called to be a minister, and therefore couldn’t get tangled in worldly affairs (2 Timothy 2:4). The rule is clear: when Christ calls, we must not consult with flesh and blood (Galatians 1:15–16). No excuse should delay immediate obedience to Christ’s call.
The third man who wanted to follow Jesus
Here is another who is willing to follow Christ, but he wants a little time to talk with his family about it.
He said (Luke 9:61), “Lord, I will follow you; I intend to, I am determined; but let me first go say goodbye to those at home.” This seemed reasonable—Elisha asked the same of Elijah, and it was granted. But the gospel ministry is more urgent than that of the prophets, and so this was not allowed. “Let me go and set my household affairs in order,” some interpret it. What was wrong with this?
- First, he saw following Christ as something sad, hard, or dangerous—almost like dying—so he felt he had to say goodbye to loved ones as if he would never see them again. But in following Christ, he could be more of a blessing to them than if he stayed.
- Second, he seemed too attached to his worldly concerns, more than was right for someone committed to Christ. His family affairs seemed to weigh on him too heavily, and he couldn’t part with them easily.
- Third, he was stepping into a temptation that might cause him to change his mind. Going back to say goodbye would expose him to intense pressure from family to give up his plan, since they would all likely oppose it. It was risky for him to put himself in that position. Those who are determined to walk with God and follow Christ must decide not to even entertain the voice of temptation.
Christ’s response (Luke 9:62) was: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” A farmer who looks back while plowing makes crooked rows, and the soil is not properly prepared for sowing. Similarly, if you want to follow me and enjoy the rewards, but you keep looking back to worldly things, longing for them like Lot’s wife looked back to Sodom (which is likely alluded to here), you are not fit for the kingdom of God.
“You’re not soil ready for the seed of the kingdom if your heart is divided.”
“You’re not ready to spread the gospel if you can’t keep your grip on the plow.”
Plowing prepares the ground for planting. Those who have not had their hearts broken up by conviction are not ready for comfort. And those who can’t plow straight aren’t fit to sow gospel truth. Those who begin God’s work must be determined to continue, or they will fail. Looking back leads to turning back, and turning back leads to ruin. Those who start toward heaven and then turn away aren’t fit for it. Only those who endure to the end will be saved.