Thursday Devo
Scripture Reading:
Luke 9
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 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.”
59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 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.”
59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
9:57–62 The Cost of Following Jesus. Jesus encounters three would-be disciples. The word “follow” plays a key role in each encounter (vv. 57, 59, 61).
9:58 The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head is Jesus’ challenge to a would-be follower, reminding him that the path of following Jesus is not easy and comfortable, for ultimately Jesus is not at home in this world. In this and the following two brief stories (vv. 59–62), Luke does not tell his readers how the person responded.
9:59 To go and bury a deceased parent was an important duty, and Jesus clearly upholds honoring one’s parents (Matt. 15:1–9). The request seems reasonable on the surface, but this man’s first response was not to obey Jesus immediately (as others did, cf. Luke 5:21, 28) but to make an excuse for not following him. Burial at this time in Judaism often involved a year-long period from the time when the body was first buried until a year later when the bones of the deceased were placed in an ossuary box. Though this was a basic family obligation, Jesus is teaching the priority of the kingdom over family.
9:60 Leave the dead to bury their own dead constitutes a pun in which “dead” means both “spiritually dead” (cf. 15:24, 32) and “physically dead.” Here (as in 14:25–26) Jesus insists that following him must take precedence over every other relationship and obligation. This does not imply that Jesus’ followers can never care for their family obligations, but when they do, it must be out of obedience to Jesus, not instead of obedience to Jesus. In this man’s case, Jesus was clearly not his highest commitment (see 9:59).
9:61 As in v. 59, this man’s halfhearted discipleship begins with a “but”: I will follow you, Lord, but. This recalls 1 Kings 19:19–21, where Elijah permitted Elisha to say farewell; but Jesus does not permit this. Jesus’ summons to discipleship takes precedence over everything else.
9:62 Anyone who puts his hand to the plow has to keep looking forward to guide the plow, for if he looks back the plow will quickly veer off course.
9:58 The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head is Jesus’ challenge to a would-be follower, reminding him that the path of following Jesus is not easy and comfortable, for ultimately Jesus is not at home in this world. In this and the following two brief stories (vv. 59–62), Luke does not tell his readers how the person responded.
9:59 To go and bury a deceased parent was an important duty, and Jesus clearly upholds honoring one’s parents (Matt. 15:1–9). The request seems reasonable on the surface, but this man’s first response was not to obey Jesus immediately (as others did, cf. Luke 5:21, 28) but to make an excuse for not following him. Burial at this time in Judaism often involved a year-long period from the time when the body was first buried until a year later when the bones of the deceased were placed in an ossuary box. Though this was a basic family obligation, Jesus is teaching the priority of the kingdom over family.
9:60 Leave the dead to bury their own dead constitutes a pun in which “dead” means both “spiritually dead” (cf. 15:24, 32) and “physically dead.” Here (as in 14:25–26) Jesus insists that following him must take precedence over every other relationship and obligation. This does not imply that Jesus’ followers can never care for their family obligations, but when they do, it must be out of obedience to Jesus, not instead of obedience to Jesus. In this man’s case, Jesus was clearly not his highest commitment (see 9:59).
9:61 As in v. 59, this man’s halfhearted discipleship begins with a “but”: I will follow you, Lord, but. This recalls 1 Kings 19:19–21, where Elijah permitted Elisha to say farewell; but Jesus does not permit this. Jesus’ summons to discipleship takes precedence over everything else.
9:62 Anyone who puts his hand to the plow has to keep looking forward to guide the plow, for if he looks back the plow will quickly veer off course.
Study Questions:
- The final takeaway on Sunday was, "Don't miss his CALLING." Following Jesus isn't always comfortable, but it's ALWAYS worth it. Jesus promised us that his Spirit would empower us to be his "witnesses" to the ends of the earth. The Greek word used for "witnesses" has its roots in the word "martyr". Being a witness for Jesus will cost you. Maybe even cost you everything. We must be willing to be so bought into HIS Kingdom and will that we, as almost all of his disciples did, would be willing to die for HIS cause. What would you be willing to sacrifice for this calling? What have you NOT been willing to sacrifice in the past?
- Paul, right before he died, encouraged Timothy to NEVER be ashamed to tell others about Jesus. He told him NEVER stop telling them, NEVER give up. Like Paul and Timothy, we carry the message of life and hope. How much urgency do you carry with you to share this message? How committed are you, really? How do you up your commitment if needed?
Pray:
- That you would be ready to sacrifice it all for his calling.
- That you would be fully committed to him.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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