Luke 9:57-62 The Cost of Discipleship
“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, 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.”
Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Jesus is on his way his way to Jerusalem and knows that his time with the disciples is dwindling. Now he’s doing everything he can to prepare the disciples for his eventual departure, although there are times when the disciples aren’t listening. There are also people who want to curry favor with Jesus but who aren’t really serious. As one friend in the American South used to say, “You want to get credit for singing in the choir without showing up for choir practice.”
Three men approach Jesus, claiming they want to be his disciples. The first guy rushes up to Jesus and gushes, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” Sounds great, right? What a believer! But Jesus knows this man isn’t serious. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Jesus doesn’t rebuke the man for desiring to follow him; he simply points out the nasty facts of his situation. Jesus doesn’t own a house anywhere; in fact, he doesn’t even own a donkey. The disciples have turned their backs on thriving businesses to travel with Jesus and hope that God continues to feed and shelter them. This poor fellow quietly moves to the back of the crowd, for he has anticipated far different results. Jesus doesn’t run after this man, enticing him to follow, for he knows the man is enthusiastic but shallow.
Then another fellow struts up. Certainly, Jesus will want this man as a disciple, for he is wealthy, or at least he anticipates being wealthy when his father dies. “Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” Wow! An invitation from Jesus. Surely, this man will choose to become a disciple.
“But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” Is this man’s father even dead? Perhaps this man’s father is in perfect health and has no intention of dying. Now the truth comes out; this guy wants credit for being a disciple while he’s sitting in the house waiting for his father to die so he can claim his inheritance by assisting with the funeral. But Jesus knows his time is short, and there’s no time for this kind of shilly-shallying.
“And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” What does this guy want? A going away party where he can swan around, getting praised for his “selfless dedication?” Jesus knows that this man isn’t any more serious than the other two men.
What about us? Certainly, we are willing to follow Jesus as long as we can attend church and take part in interesting and inspiring programs. But what if we live in northern Nigeria, where Boko Haram can sweep in at any moment and slaughter us simply for attending church that Sunday morning? Or what if we live in a country in which it is illegal to lead people to Christ? One believer in North Korea was run over by a bull dozer in the public square in front of his horrified family, simply for having shown a Christian video in the privacy of his own home. Men from South Korea told us this story in 2011, even as they were training in Community Health Evangelism, gaining skills so that they would be able to aid those in North Korea.
Two hundred years ago, West Africa was known as “the white man’s graveyard.” Malaria and yellow fever killed thousands, and missionaries coming to places such as Ghana packed their belongings in coffins so that they would have a fitting burial should they die on the field. Those leaving for West Africa said their final good-byes to family and friends, anticipating that they might never see loved ones again this side of eternity. Although many of those coffins did get used swiftly for their intended purpose, other missionaries survived to carry the Gospel throughout West Africa.
How committed are we to the cause of Jesus Christ? Do we love Jesus for what he has done for us? Are we willing to leave our comfort zones and go out with no idea of the dangers we might face? And if we are already on the mission field, have we gotten into a comfortable rut there, refusing to consider that Jesus might want us to reach out in new directions?
There are always more unreached people who need the good news of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. One missionary couple had a highly effective ministry to taxi drivers in Hong Kong. Those drivers essentially lived in their cabs, and this couple would charter taxis and then engage the drivers in conversations about Christ. Another missionary engaged factory workers in Taipei in outreach. Some workers share rooms-when one shift is working, the others are sleeping.
Never reject the idea that God has new avenues of service for you. Perhaps you live in a community with several colleges and universities. Many foreign students would love to be invited off-campus. Your kindness might help someone make a decision for eternity. Or perhaps you have friends in nursing homes. Those in nursing homes have plenty of time and few visitors. You can brighten someone’s day and introduce them to Jesus at the same time.
May God help us, so that we will never “put our hands to the plow and look back.” May we whole-heartedly follow wherever God leads us.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow You, even when it becomes difficult. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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