Luke 9:57-62
The Cost of Discipleship
INTRODUCTION
In the middle of the first century BC, Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions. He took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military campaign. He ordered his men to march to the edge of the Cliffs of Dover, and he commanded them to look down on the water below. To their amazement, they saw every ship in which they had crossed the English Channel engulfed in flames. Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of retreat back to Rome. Since his soldiers were unable to return to the continent, their only real option was to advance. So they committed themselves to following Caesar. They went forth and conquered Britain.
Throughout His three-year ministry, Jesus Christ called people to be His disciples—to be committed to following Him. In Luke 9 we see the story of three prospective followers of Jesus. The theme of verses 57-62 is discipleship. And in this brief pericope we discover that following Jesus Christ is costly. I see from this passage three reasons why this is so.
Following Jesus Christ is costly because first, JESUS MUST HAVE PRIORITY OVER YOUR FLESH.
Luke 9:57 says, “As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him, ‘I will follow You wherever You go.’”
The parallel passage in Matthew 8 informs us that this man was a scribe. Scribes were religious scholars and leaders back in Jesus’ day. This scribe was willing to follow Christ wherever He went. I believe that he was sincere.
Jesus responds to the man in verse 58 by saying, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
Since Jesus’ usual practice was to encourage people to follow Him, He must have detected an overzealous spirit in the scribe.
The man was relying on his feelings at a moment of enthusiasm. He was probably accustomed to a comfortable home and life. In his impulsiveness he failed to estimate the true rigors of discipleship.
Don’t misunderstand Jesus. He is not discouraging the man from following Him. But he wants this scribe to count the cost. He wants him to know exactly what he’s getting himself into with his eyes wide open.
And what was the scribe getting into? “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
Jesus said in effect, “If you are coming after Me, you must have the attitude of denying your flesh.” A disciple must be willing to give up what others consider necessities.
Giuseppe Garibaldi lived from 1807 to 1882. He was an Italian patriot, soldier, and hero-figure. He devoted his life to the cause of uniting Italy. His greatest victory was the 1860 overthrow of the Kingdom of Naples. That event ultimately led to the unification of Italy. In May of that year, Garibaldi had landed in Sicily with a volunteer force of 1070 men (the "Thousand"). Within two weeks this force had taken the city of Palermo, forcing the capitulation of an army of 20,000 regulars. Garibaldi had an incredibly committed volunteer army. He would appeal for recruits in these terms: “I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor provisions; I offer hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart and not with his lips only, follow me!”
Jesus invites you to discipleship. But He lets you know up front that it is a commitment that will cost you something. It’s not going to be easy. To paraphrase Garibaldi, “Let him who loves the Lord with his heart and not with his lips only, be Jesus’ disciple!”
Discipleship is costly because Jesus must have priority over your flesh. Secondly, discipleship is costly because JESUS MUST HAVE PRIORITY OVER YOUR FAMILY.
In verse 59 we read: “He said to another man, ‘Follow Me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’”
Luke tells us that this is another prospective disciple. The word “another” is significant. In Greek there are two words translated “another.” The first word is "allos" which means “another of the same kind.” For example, in John 14:16 Jesus said He would send an allos Comforter—another of the same kind of Comforter as He is—referring to the Holy Spirit.
But here in Luke 9:59 we see the Greek word "heteros"—“another of a different kind.” This man was different from the scribe in that he was not willing to follow Jesus, but rather was looking for a convenient excuse.
When he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father,” it sounds like a logical and fair request. And some commentators believe that this son’s father had just died and he wants to bury him. To the Jews, burying your father was a sacred duty. So some feel Jesus’ response in verse 60 was rather harsh and unfair to the man. But I don’t think that’s the case. I think the man was looking for an excuse not to follow Jesus. I believe that the man’s father was still living. If his father had just died, he wouldn’t have been with Jesus. Rather, he would have been at his home making funeral arrangements, since the Jews buried a person on the same day he died.
There is nothing in the passage to indicate that the father was dead or even ill. I think this man’s father was alive, but this was his way of saying he wouldn’t follow Jesus while his father was still living.
He took an important responsibility—family—and elevated it above his ultimate responsibility—obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus responds in verse 60: “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Jesus’ answer is a play on words. Jesus is saying, “Let those who are spiritually dead—those who don’t have this urgent call on their lives—bury those who are physically dead.”
The point is that proclaiming the kingdom of God is so important it can’t wait. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “The good is often the enemy of the best.” This man wanted to do something good at the expense of what is best.
I want to talk to you parents and grandparents for a moment. To instill a sense of loyalty, love, nurture and trust within the family is wonderful. But never forget that your child’s strongest allegiance must be to Jesus Christ. Dr. J. Herbert Kane wrote a book entitled Life And Work On The Mission Field. When it comes to young people entering missionary service, Kane says, “There are two kinds of opposition. One comes from non-Christian parents who have no use for religion, much less missions; the other comes from Christian parents, some of them evangelicals, who believe in missions, but are unhappy when their children become involved. The opposition that comes from Christian parents is more silent and more subtle but nonetheless damaging. The pressure generated by this kind of situation is sometimes harder to resist than the outright opposition of non-Christian parents.”
Do you realize that your child belongs to the Lord? What will be your reaction if they say they want to go to the foreign mission field or work in an inner-city ministry? Are you encouraging your children and grandchildren to follow the Lord no matter what the cost?
Following Jesus Christ is costly. Jesus must have priority over your flesh, your family, and thirdly, JESUS MUST HAVE PRIORITY OVER YOUR FRIENDS.
Verse 61: “Still another said, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’”
Luke informs us that Jesus encounters another prospective disciple—a "heteros" disciple—another of a different kind of disciple. He was different from the scribe in that he wanted to do something before he followed Jesus. He was different from the son in that he didn’t wait for Jesus to ask him to follow.
On the surface his request was simple enough, but two items point beneath the surface and reveal his compromise. First, his farewell likely indicated a prolonged festive occasion—a series of farewell parties thrown by his friends—not just a simple kiss and wave good-bye. Also, the word “first” in verse 61 is significant. The man was establishing something else as first in his life—making commitment to following Christ second.
In verse 62, “Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”
In this proverb, Jesus states that just as one who ploughs must look straight ahead and devote his full attention to his work so as not to plough a crooked line, so also he who desires to be a disciple must never allow other matters to distract his attention from following Christ. Jesus did not say to the man, “Go home,” but “I accept no lukewarm service.”
Teenagers, let me ask you something. How would you describe your commitment to Jesus? Do you just obey Christ when it is convenient for you—and even then half-heartedly? Or are you seriously committed to following Christ rather than following your friends? I realize how great peer pressure can be when you’re an adolescent. No one wants to be disliked or excluded or considered odd. But there needs to come a time in your life when you say, “I don’t care what my friends will say. I don’t care what my friends will think of me—I’m going to follow Christ!”
Following Jesus Christ is costly. Jesus must have priority over your flesh, your family, and your friends.
The cost of discipleship is great, but the rewards are greater. Jesus said, “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
CONCLUSION
A few centuries before Jesus was born, a man named Alexander conquered almost the entire known world using military strength, cleverness, and a bit of diplomacy. A story is told that Alexander the Great and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified walled city. Alexander, standing outside the walls, raised his voice and demanded to see the king. When the king arrived, Alexander insisted that the king surrender the city and its inhabitants to Alexander and his little band of fighting men. The king laughed. “Why should we surrender to you? You can’t do us any harm!” But Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff. The townspeople gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After ten soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the men to return to his side. The townspeople and the king immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They realized that if a few people were actually willing to commit themselves fully to following the command of this dynamic leader, then nothing could stop his eventual victory.
Brothers and sisters, just think what could be accomplished for the cause of Christ if we were fully devoted followers of Jesus.
Let us pray.
Father, Your Son Jesus came to save the world and to that end He died. But on His way to the cross He concentrated His life on making disciples. We have answered His call to salvation. And now we hear His voice as He invites us to discipleship—to walk by His side as His fully devoted followers. We have been encouraged to count the cost and to make the commitment to follow Him—to obey His commandments. We know that this requires placing Christ above everything—our family, our friends, our very self. Help us, O Lord, to do this. We know that this is the only kind of life that will not only glorify You, but also give us the deep purpose in life and satisfaction our souls long for. We know all too well that “Only one life, t’will soon be passed; Only what’s done for Christ will last.” These things we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
