Luke 9:51-62 [51] When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. [52] And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. [53] But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. [54] And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" [55] But he turned and rebuked them. [56] And they went on to another village. [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 Jesus 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." (ESV)
Each year, millions of people around the world are forced to flee their homeland to escape persecution, war or severe human rights abuses. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that at least 108.4 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes. Among them are nearly 35.3 million refugees, around 41 per cent of whom are under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and lack access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment and freedom of movement. (https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/who-we-are/figures-glance)
The Samaritans in Jesus’ day were such a people. Luke 9:51-62 is the first of several references to the Samaritans in Luke-Acts, and it accesses common knowledge of the traditional animosity characterizing Jew-Samaritan relations. The Samaritans were a religious group focused on Mount Gerizim and inhabiting parts of the central hill country bordered by Galilee in the north and Judea in the south; like the Jews more generally, Samaritans also gathered in communities in the Diaspora (AKA Dispersion). Though they are best known for their outright rejection of the Jerusalem-centered salvation history (since this set them apart most radically from other forms of Judaism), they also had competing views of Scripture, of messianic expectation, and, most importantly, of what constitutes authentic faith before God. According to Josephus, such differences were sometimes manifested in acts of violence (Josephus Ant. 18.2.2 §§29–30; 20.6.1–3 §§118–36. Cf. Jubilees 30.).
How are we to deal with those who are hostile to the message of the Kingdom of God? How should the Message of the Kingdom focus our lives and help us guard against distractions? Jesus presents these answers in His “Journey to Jerusalem”.
In Luke 9:51-62, which is unique to Luke, Jesus purposes to go to Jerusalem. He and his followers proceed south from Galilee to Jerusalem, they enter into Samaria (Stein, R. H. (2001). Vol. 24: Luke (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (297). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
In this Journey to Jerusalem, it is a journey of faith. The message explains the new realities of the Kingdom of God, helping us understand the purpose for our lives and focus on that purpose in avoiding distractions. In this we can see three things: 1) The Determination Executed (Luke 9:51-53), 2) The Discipleship Error (Luke 9:53-56), and 3) The Diversion Excuse (Luke 9:57-62).
First, in the “Journey to Jerusalem” Jesus shows us:
1)The Determination Executed (Luke 9:51-53)
Luke 9:51-53 [51] When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. [52] And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53] But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. (ESV)
Now that the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry were reaching their fulfillment, the time for itinerating in Galilee (4:14–15) has passed. This narrative shift brings together the christologically significant event of Jesus’ ascension (to be taken up) and the profound importance of preparing the disciples for their Spirit-empowered mission following Jesus’ ascension. The necessity of the journey to Jerusalem is rooted in the divine purpose. These last days were to end, not merely with (His Death, burial) and resurrection, but with His glorious ascension. The Ascension was that special event forty days after the resurrection, where Jesus is taken into heaven by a cloud from the Mount of Olives (cf. 24:51; Acts 1:2, 9, 11, 22; I Tim. 3:16) (Utley, R. J. D. (2004). Vol. Volume 3A: The Gospel According to Luke. Study Guide Commentary Series (Lk 9:51–62). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.).
His Death was only an introduction to that. “He set his face firmly,” therefore, does not mean that he faced death with brave resolve, but that he looked forward to his return to the Father (Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel (553). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.) That Jesus “set his face” connotes the austerity of Jesus’ resolve, evokes analogous formulations of prophetic vocation (e.g., Isa 50:7; Jer 3:12; 21:10; Ezek 21:2; et al). It refers here to God’s purpose soon to be realized. He was determined to follow God’s plan and deliberately initiated the precipitating events, showing that He was in control of what was about to happen. (Stein, R. H. (2001). Vol. 24: Luke (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (297). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
• In the Journey of Faith it is important to see faith as a trust with an objective. Biblical faith is not only rooted in deepening our relationship with God but looking towards the day of its completion of being finally and fully in His presence.
In Luke 9:31, Luke summarizes the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah as having to do with the exodus Jesus was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. In light of the adjacent prediction of Jesus’ death at the hands of Jewish leaders associated with Jerusalem and the temple, Jesus’ “exodus” or departure clearly includes his path through suffering and death, even if it also includes His being raised from the dead by God. Hence, this resolve on Jesus’ part to go to Jerusalem comes because of the fate that awaits him there, since it is through his execution and vindication that he will fulfill God’s salvific purpose. This reference to Jerusalem, repeated in v 53, centers attention on the consummation of the divine will even while it recognizes the central role Jerusalem plays as the “culture center” of the Jewish world. By “culture center” we mean the sacred space that establishes the order of the world and provides the center point around which human life is oriented. Jesus’ activities in the Gospel thus far have been positioned against the world order established by and emanating from Jerusalem, but because they have been centered in the region of Galilee, far from the “center of the world,” their radical character has not been widely felt. We are about to see what happens when Jesus takes this same message to Jerusalem, announcing a new worldview that undermines the world established in and by the temple.
Only Luke, in Luke 9:52, of the Synoptic writers (cf. John 4:4–42), referred to Jesus’ ministry to the Samaritans. A journey through Samaria would normally take about three days, and Jesus sent messengers ahead of him to get things ready for him. That is, to arrange for lodging (Stein, R. H. (2001). Vol. 24: Luke (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (298). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
• This time on earth is meant to get us ready for the return of Christ. We experience and learn things through Biblical resolve and determination that we cannot experience in His presence. Our faithfulness in challenges and trust can only really be developed when we have to deal with elements of the temporal unknown before we fully experience His presence.
Against this background, perhaps the most notable feature of Luke’s account is that Jesus and his entourage did not altogether bypass the region of the Samaritans by taking the circuitous but preferred route of Galileans making pilgrimage to Jerusalem through Transjordan. Instead, they actually journeyed into Samaritan territory. Luke’s narrative presupposes an awareness of the Samaritans’ status as foreigners (from a perspective within Judaism) who are not as peripheral to conventional understandings of God’s purpose as Gentiles would be, but who are nonetheless not expected to exemplify the graciousness of God.(Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (p. 405). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
• Our Journey of Faith with Jesus will often take us to places we would otherwise not go. We may prefer to focus on simple relations at work or with friends and family. But the journey with Jesus requires that we go directly to places where we should expect hostility. We need to directly confront people on mistaken views of faith in God for their eternal souls are at stake.
Please turn to John 4
The fame of Jesus’ preaching and especially of his miracles had spread all through Palestine and beyond. But this miracleworking Jesus, it was plain to see, had only one purpose, namely, to go to Jerusalem, very likely to perform his wonders there. He was insulting them by not stopping longer among them and favoring them with some miracles. Why would the celebrated rabbi of Nazareth be acting as though the temple at Jerusalem were the only fit place to worship and as though their own sanctuary at nearby Mount Gerizim (John 4:19—“this mountain”) were not good enough for him. In their anger over this fancied affront they refused Jesus’ party any hospitality whatever (Franzmann, W. H. (1989). Bible History Commentary: New Testment (374). Milwaukee, WI: Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.).
John explains this animosity:
John 4:20-23 [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." [21] Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (ESV)
• Regardless of side issues of methodology, or history or preference, we are to be a people of worship and have lives of focused determination of knowing and worshipping God in everything we do.
Not surprisingly, the Samaritan village in verse 53 did not receive Jesus. But that rejection was not of Him personally; they knew nothing of His miraculous power and divine teaching. They did not even reject Him solely because He was Jewish. Instead, the Samaritans rejected Jesus because He was traveling toward Jerusalem to worship at the temple. The Maccabean ruler John Hyrcanus had destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim during the intertestamental period, and it had never been rebuilt. The Samaritans, clinging to their own religious system despite the lack of a temple, refused to recognize the Jerusalem temple as a proper place of worship. Thus, they rejected all who worshiped there. ( MacArthur, J. (2011). Luke 6–10 (pp. 312–313). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)
Illustration: Determination requires persistence. In the book: "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity" the author wrote: “Nothing in the world Can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: Unrewarded genius Is almost a proverb. Education will not; The world is full of Educated derelicts. (The right) Persistence and determination Alone are important”. (Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p. 93)
Second, in the “Journey to Jerusalem” Jesus shows us:
2) The Discipleship Error (Luke 9:53-56)
Luke 9:54-56. [ [54] And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" [55] But he turned and rebuked them. [56] And they went on to another village. (ESV)
Look back to the beginning of Luke 9
Earlier, Jesus had instructed His disciples regarding the appropriate response when faced with inhospitality
Luke 9:1-6 [9:1] And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, [2]and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. [3] And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. [4] And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. [5] And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." [6] And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. (ESV)
• “Receive” is used elsewhere with respect to welcoming and receiving God's word (8:13), Jesus (9:48, 53), Jesus' followers (vv. 5, 48), and the kingdom of God (18:17). To shake off the dust from your feet (cf. 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6;) visibly illustrates the future judgment of those who reject Christ's messengers (Luke 10:11–15) (ESV Study Bible. Crossway Books & Bibles. 2001). The act warns rejecters of impending judgment if their decision does not change. It expresses their separation from God. It compares it to the imagery of Jews washing themselves upon return to Israel from an unclean land (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke Volume 1: 1:1-9:50. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (817). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.)
• If someone will not heed God's word, a warning is appropriate (9:5, 10:13–16 or 17:20–36,), then we are to leave the judgment to God (2 Pt. 3:9) and move on (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke. The IVP New Testament commentary series (Lk 9:51). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.).
But in Luke 9:54, James and John, the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), were deadly serious. They were not naive, and they were not joking. They believed Jesus was an Elijah-like Messiah, and thus Elijah’s life was a precedent for what should happen now. They remembered 2 Kings 1:1–14, which records how the apostate king Ahaziah twice sent soldiers to take Elijah and how twice the prophet said, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” (vv. 10, 12)—and it did! The two disciples’ memory was good, but what they failed to understand was that though Ahaziah was rejecting God, the Samaritans were not, but were simply returning the rejection of the Jews. The situations were not the same (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke : That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (370–371). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.).
• God expects His people to be people of truth. We are not to bear false witness nor slander. We are actually called to the opposite extreme. We must give the judgment of charity (1 Cor. 13) and not prejudge someone’s motives or intentions. In showing this patience and love we may surprise our opponents and allow a window of discussion or the showing of compassion. In this we may win over the lost.
In Luke 9:55, Jesus rebukes His disciples for their failure to properly discern the situation before condemnation, much like He rebuked Peter in Mark 8:33 for not setting his mind on the things of God but on the things of man. Christ’s response to the Samaritans exemplifies the attitude the church ought to have with regard to all forms of religious persecution. Although, the Samaritans’ worship was pagan at heart, and plainly wrong., yet, the Lord would not retaliate at that time with force against them. Nor did He even revile them verbally. In His first coming, He had come to save, not to destroy, and so His response was grace rather than destructive fury. Nonetheless, Christ’s words of disapproval here must not be taken as condemnation of Elijah’s actions in 1 Kin. 18:38–40 or 2 Kin. 1:10–12. Elijah was commissioned to a special ministry as prophet in a theocracy, and it was his God-ordained task to confront an evil monarch (Ahab) who was attempting to usurp God’s authority. Elijah was specifically authorized to measure out the reprisal of God’s wrath. Elijah acted with an authority comparable to that of modern civil authorities (cf. Rom. 13:4)—not in a capacity that parallels that of ministers of the gospel (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Lk 9:55). Nashville: Word Pub.).
Now with Luke 9:56, Luke marks again the need for the journey, a central emphasis of which is the formation of a people who will hear and obey the word of God. With the need again underscored, since the Samaritans did not receive Jesus and His message, Jesus applies the teaching from Luke 9:5 to shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." They went on to another village. There is an aspect of being a good steward of our time: Ephesians 5:15-17. [15]Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, [16]making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. [17] Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (ESV).
• As such, when someone pays no heed to the truth of the Gospel despite repeated attempts at sharing the truth, being a good steward of our time, demands that we look for others to share the truth with instead. Besides special cases of neighbors or family members who we may continue to relate to, perhaps we have not seen fruit in evangelistic efforts because we continue to persist with one who has and continues to blatantly reject the Gospel and neglected others to who we have yet share the Gospel with.
Illustration: D. L. Moody
D. L. Moody made an covenant with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o’clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, “Are you a Christian?” The man flew into a violent rage and threatened to knock Moody into the gutter. Three months later, Moody was awakened at the YMCA by a man knocking at the door. It was the man he had witnessed to. “I want to talk to you about my soul,” he said to Moody. He apologized for the way he had treated Moody and said that he had had no peace ever since that night on Lake Street when Moody witnessed to him. Moody led the man to Christ and he became a zealous worker in the Sunday school. (The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 205)
• When we commit with God to do our part, God will do His part in rewarding that effort for His kingdom.
Finally, in the “Journey to Jerusalem” Jesus shows us:
3) The Diversion Excuse (Luke 9:57-62)
Luke 9:57-62 [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 Jesus 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." (ESV)
On the Journey of Faith, in the midst of rejection, it becomes crucial to understand the nature of discipleship. The three sayings of these verses stress what discipleship requires. The presence of the kingdom means not instant power and position but rejection by the world. It requires a focused commitment to be a disciple (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke. The IVP New Testament commentary series (Lk 9:57). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.).
In Luke 9:57, It notes that Jesus and His disciples were going along the road. “Road” is literally way (hodos). Luke may have been presenting Jesus’ teachings along the “way” to Jerusalem as a metaphor for the ethical demands of the Christian “way.” In Acts, the early church is called “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is the church’s self-designation, perhaps implying that they are the group which goes the way that Jesus went (Black, M. C. (1996). Luke. College Press NIV commentary (Lk 9:57). Joplin, Mo.: College Press Pub.). As will often be the case in the travel narrative, Luke correlates a travel notice with material on discipleship. Expected notations about the journey—for example, current location and direction of travel—are characteristically missing; what is important is that they are “on the road,” for it is on the "Journey to Jerusalem" that instruction leading to the formation of faithful disciples will be provided (Stein, R. H. (2001). Vol. 24: Luke (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (301). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." The section before us paints a stark, demanding picture of discipleship. Here, the first man volunteered without reservation. He was warm, ardent, and enthusiastic. His problem is that he has not realistically counted the cost. His enthusiasm is based on the feelings of the moment, which will not be strong enough to sustain him in the thick of battle (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Lk 9:57). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
• The greatest danger on the Journey of Faith is expectations. If we expect in our following of Christ to have things happen as we like, when we life, or for our own immediate comfort, the we will continually be disappointed. If we expect difficulty, self-sacrifice and giving of ourselves for the welfare of others, then the Journey of Faith will glorify God.
Jesus’ reply in Luke 9:58, takes the form of an aphorism, embracing at once two characteristic features of the journey. First, as vv 52–53 have just indicated, the lot of the Son of Man is one of rejection. As a traveler, He is dependent on the hospitality of others; without it, He is homeless. Recall, this is said during a journey to Samaria to seek lodging, facing rejection in this journey and Jesus says these words to a would be disciple to follow Him on this journey. Second, Jesus’ wisdom saying is reminiscent of earlier material on the Third Gospel related to possessions—specifically on the necessity of not allowing possessions or “the cares of life” to imperil the growth of genuine faith (e.g., 8:14). Although Jesus typically employs “Son of Man” as a self-referent designed to intimate what is unique about his person, as a reply to this would-be disciple Jesus’ words disclose as well the fate of those who would journey with him (cf. 6:40; 9:22–23). The main emphasis here is less on the loss of creaturely comfort (nowhere to lay his head referring to a place to sleep) than with the rejection (9:22, 44; 17:25; 20:17). To be Jesus’ disciple, a person must willingly put aside worldly security. To follow Jesus wherever he would go (as this scribe said) would mean a willingness to give up home and security. In the context of Jesus’ present ministry, to follow him meant to be constantly on the move, bringing his message to people in many places. It is not known whether this scribe actually chose to follow, but the words are recorded for believers’ benefit. Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? Do you understand that following Jesus is far more valuable than anything this world offers?( Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke (p. 262). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Look back to Luke 9:23
What is the response of this would-be disciple? That none is provided, and that Luke notes only that “someone” asserted his willingness to follow Jesus, gives this scene a certain timeless quality. In this it is reminiscent of Jesus’ address to his followers about the requirements of discipleship in Luke 9:23–27. In a reiteration and reinforcement of what we have seen in previous weeks:
Luke 9:23-27 [23] And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [24] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. [25] For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? [26] For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. [27] But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." (ESV)
• Those who would be his disciples then and now must reckon with how identifying with Jesus might place them outside the boundaries of what is acceptable to a world not oriented toward the aim of God.
The next two vignettes in Luke 9:59-62, appear in parallel form: invitation/petition to follow + proposal to delay discipleship until something is accomplished (“first”) + reference to “the kingdom of God” included in the rejection of the proposed delay. Again, the analogy provided by Elijah and Elisha is instructive, for Elijah allowed Elisha to return to his home to bid his parents farewell before “he set out and followed Elijah” (1 Kgs 19:19–21). By way of contrast, Jesus allows for no delay. Why is this? On the one hand, it is notable that burying one’s father and bidding father and mother farewell fall within the realm of assumed behavior for those who would honor their parents, as the burial of one’s parents as a moral corollary of the command to honor one’s father and mother—cf. Gen 23:3–4;. Similarly, one should recall the obligatory obedience to one’s living father expected in the Roman world, even among his adult sons. The burial request is tantamount to an expression of a son’s duty to serve his father until his father is respectfully buried. Yet, the phrase, “first go and bury my father” was a common figure of speech meaning, “Let me wait until I receive my inheritance.”( MacArthur, J. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible : New American Standard Bible. (Mt 8:21). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers ) If his father had indeed died, the man would not have been on the road with Jesus, but at home tending to the details and the service (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke : That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (373). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.)
• What’s our polite excuse keeping us from following the Master as He requires? The call for obedience is an immediate one for all of us. God will not accept excuses of employment, previous commitments, or delays to some mythical more convenient time for service. Everything we do should first focus on doing these things in faithful ministry that He has called and equipped us to do.
The presence in Luke 9:60 to the kingdom of God announces the reorganization of former allegiances, with the result that one may be called upon, as in this case, to engage in behavior deemed deviant by normal conventions. But this is the nature of the kingdom of God in Luke, which makes its presence known through a reordering of the character of human interaction. The ministry of the kingdom (v 60) and fitness for the kingdom (Luke 9:62) presume a redefinition of kinship relations centered on hearing and doing the word of God (8:19–21; cf. 14:26). (WE WILL RETURN TO VERSE 60)
Jesus puts the nature of Kingdom discipleship plainly with a proverbial metaphor in Luke 9:62: No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. The metaphor refers to plowing with the eyes ahead so that one plows a straight furrow. This is especially necessary in Palestine, where a backward look might easily knock one off course in the rocky soil. While one hand guides the plow and the other goads the oxen, the eyes should look ahead to where the farmer is directing the plow. A plowman looking back cuts a crooked furrow. (Jeremias 1963a: 195). The expression for someone who “looks back” has a manifest reference to “Lot’s wife” (Gen. 19:26). It is not actual return to the world, but a reluctance to break with it (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Lk 9:62). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.). Double-minded discipleship is worthless. One who turns back—renouncing one’s commitment without reservation or regret, as Judas would—is unfit for the kingdom. Discipleship is serious business and an all-consuming priority in terms of the constancy of one’s allegiance. Following Christ is not a task which is added to others like working a second job.… It is everything. It is a solemn commitment which forces the disciples-to-be to reorder all their other duties. Family, home, work, recreation, and all other activity are to be prioritized in relation to one’s relationship to God (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke Volume 2: 9:51-24:53. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (984). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.)
Paul expressed this thought simply but profoundly to the Philippians:
Philippians 3:13-14. [13]Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14]I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
Consequently, the response of each of Jesus’ unnamed partners in conversation sounds a note of irony. Both refer (Luke 9:59, 61) to Jesus as “Lord,” recognizing him as a person whose beckoning was to be taken with seriousness. Through their attempts to delay obedience, however, they expose the hollowness of their affirmation (cf. 6:46).
• Our actions will always show what we truly believe and who we truly love. We can say that Jesus is Lord, but if other priorities, like desire for comfort, or fear or rejection in evangelism, take precedence over Kingdom duties, then we show our true allegiance.
Finally, in Jesus' words of Luke 9:62, how can the dead bury their own dead? This is normally taken metaphorically: “Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead.” This reading would make good on the change of life for which Jesus calls, particularly with regard to the reconstruction of one’s dispositions and behaviors (cf. 6:20–49) and of one’s self-identity (scf. 9:23). Contemporary Jewish funerary customs make possible another reading. The practice of primary burial (in which the corpse is placed in a sealed tomb) followed by secondary burial (following a twelve-month period of decomposition the bones were collected and reburied in an ossuary or “bone box”) is well attested, with the additional twelve months between burial and reburial providing for the completion of the work of mourning. According to this reckoning, Jesus’ proverbial saying would refer to the physically dead in both instances: “Let those already dead in the family tomb rebury their own dead.” In either case, Jesus’ disrespect for such a venerable practice rooted in OT law is matched only by the authority he manifests by asserting the priority of the claims of discipleship in the kingdom of God. The first disciple was too ready because he hadn’t counted the cost. The second disciple was not ready at all because he hadn’t sensed the urgency of moving when Jesus said move. And the third disciple was only half ready—hot to go when he looked forward but cold to go when he looked back. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Lk 9:62). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
• And so we have three cardinal hindrances to discipleship illustrated in the experience of: 1. Material comforts, 2. A job or an occupation, 3. Family and friends.
Books.).
Jesus is a realist. When people express the desire to follow him, He wants to make it clear what following him will entail. Prospective disciples must recognize that even sacred family duties are secondary to one’s commitment to God. The highest priority is God’s kingdom. Everything else pales in comparison. Such commitment renders one useful in its service. Though the road is not easy, the way down the road is clear. The disciple is to go forward and travel a straight path. One must look ahead with a singular dedication to the task and not look back. Following Jesus is a hard walk, but it is worth it, because it is (the way of eternal life, with a singular purpose and all the necessary resources provided to achieve that end) (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke Volume 2: 9:51-24:53. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (984–985). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.).
(Format note: Some base commentary from Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (401–409). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
