“I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
I can almost imagine saying this to Jesus if I had known Him in person. But the reality He seems to give in reply to this in Luke 9 is tough: “Really? I have no place to lay my head.”
Reading this tells me much about what it looks like to follow Jesus. But the passage continues as He says, “Your duty is to go and preach about the kingdom of God.”
Wait, what? My duty? Preaching? No way.
And what about those other things that need to happen first? I’ve got a lot to do, you see. I’m pretty busy. Let me knock out these emails, and I’ll follow up with you, Jesus.
Unfit. Jesus doesn’t shy away from hard truth.
Okay, what does this all mean? Do I really, actually know the cost of following Jesus? I’m pretty sure my expectations and reality are not matching here.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever thought about following Jesus, or maybe you have. What have you learned? For me, I’m realizing it’s not exactly popular. People will often be attracted or pushed away. It definitely goes against a lot of cultural norms. And it is absolutely not easy.
I don’t know where you’re at reading this, but I hope you’ll consider diving into this passage with me and what it means to follow Jesus.
Luke 9:57–62
“As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you anywhere you go.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.’ He said to another person, ‘Come, follow me.’ The man agreed, but he said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.'”
Here is what I learned about the cost of following Jesus:
Following Jesus Comes First
What are your priorities? Jesus reminds the man what his promise will actually cost.
It’s easy for us to say we will follow Jesus if…
…I stay comfortable. I have enough money. It doesn’t disrupt life too much. People approve. I’m ok.
These are conditions I put on following Him. Is this the discipleship He is asking for?
What’s one thing right now that you’ve made a condition for following Jesus?
Following Jesus Is Urgent
In verses 59–60, Jesus asks the man to follow Him. The man replies, “Lord, first let me…”
Interesting. He acknowledges Jesus as Lord but has something else first.
This is a “Yeah, but not right now. Later” kind of response.
I often hear… “Someday.” “When things slow down, when life’s not so busy. After school starts and we’re back in a routine, etc., etc., etc.”
Excuse. Excuse. Excuse. Someday.
What’s the “someday” you keep pushing down the list — and what would it look like to respond today instead?
Following Jesus Requires Undivided Focus
Verses 61–62 use a plowing metaphor. If you keep looking back, getting distracted, or have a “divided” focus, you won’t be “fit for the kingdom.”
Euthetos means well-placed, suitable, useful, appropriate. How can you be useful to Jesus if you are divided and unfocused?
This passage seems to reveal things that compete for our ability and willingness to follow Jesus. Examples? security, protection, priorities, comfort, obligations, attachments.
What keeps pulling your eyes back over your shoulder instead of forward?
The Cost
I’m going to jump from the 9th to the 14th chapter on this point– because I think it is important to consider. Jesus asks us not to begin following him without first counting the cost.
Luke 14:28
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?”
Don’t start what you won’t finish. Because here, the reality is huge: “You cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” (verse 33)
Apostassō, a word used here, means to say farewell to, take leave, renounce, give up, or separate oneself from something. This “giving up” reaches into the entirety of our lives, our wills and desires.
My finances. My friendships. My character and reputation. My performance. My lifestyle.
They all must belong to Him. Surrendered.
There’s No “Mine” in Following Jesus
Last 2 questions. I promise. But all of this made me think, what are my sticky, clingy fingers grasping and not letting go of, and where, in my heart and in my life, am I saying, “This is mine. I deserve this,” and refusing to really follow Jesus wholeheartedly?
Moving Forward
I honestly think my interpretation of some of the points here are possibly much softer than how Jesus actually spoke to those who wanted to follow him.
I’m not sure where you’re at today. But I hope that as you go through these, you’ll consider your heart and the cost that comes with following Jesus.
I’m learning this– following Jesus has to come 100% first. Everything else comes after. And loving him more than anything and everything, especially myself, isn’t easy at all.
But there’s one thing I can’t forget. It’s something that gets me lost along the path if I lose track of it…and what is it?
How much Jesus loves me.
Following Jesus…what does it look like? I feel like I have no clue. I know I want what I want. I want comfort, security, provision, status, reputation, love, relationship, respect. I want my plans to succeed. I want people to like me. I really, really want what I want. I. Me. Mine.
I feel like I have no clue. I know I want what I want. I want comfort, security, provision, status, reputation, love, relationship, respect. I want my plans to succeed. I want people to like me. I really, really want what I want. I. Me. Mine.
I see this. It’s hard to do anything about it. Please help me.
Jesus, I want to want YOU more than anything else.