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.” (Luke 9:57-62)

Making A Commitment Or Making An Excuse

Following Jesus is not for the faint-hearted or weak knees. The Lord reminded His disciples often that following Him required cross-bearing; not something looked upon as an easy path or pleasant journey. Jesus never suggested that being a disciple was an easy life. He faced criticism and persecution often and warned those who followed them the same fate would befall them. Deciding to be a Christian requires the fortitude of courage to walk in the footsteps of Jesus boldly.

The popularity of Jesus was misjudged by some, thinking it would be a fulfilling experience to follow Jesus. They did not have the proper view of discipleship to the Son of God. Someone tells Jesus they are willing to go wherever He goes and does so with great exuberance and excitement. Little does he know the life of a Christian is often difficult and hard. Jesus explains the trials of His ministry when He tells the willing disciples that life is uncertain and filled with more uncertainties.

Jesus invites someone to follow Him, and the person is willing but first seeks permission to bury his father before coming to Jesus. There is an emotional appeal that most men could not resist. The importance of family is undoubtedly not lost on Jesus, and He could not be insensitive to the emotional bond between a child and a father. Jesus’ reply must be understood in its context. Typically, burials took place on the day the person died, followed by three days of morning and visiting the tomb before sealing the grave. On the fourth day following death, physical signs begin to show in the corpse that are most unpleasant. During the first three days, the family can visit with the body of the loved one, but no one would dare enter the fourth day. Jesus tells the willing disciple that his father is dead and that will not change. His tomb will be sealed for shortly, and that will not change. If he is to follow Jesus, the time is now. Let the dead bury the dead, but the Lord’s work demands immediate action to save the living.

Finally, another disciple is willing to follow Jesus but asks permission to set his house in order with his family and then allow him to follow Jesus. Again, Jesus is sensitive to the emotional bond of the person to the family, and again, the answer is given, showing the immediacy of the need. When a man commits his way to the Lord, he moves forward without the baggage of the world’s affairs. Using the farming implements to illustrate, Jesus reminds the man that his eyes always look ahead when plowing a field. If a man plows constantly looking back, he cannot produce a field for harvest because the rows will be in disarray.

Following Jesus means keeping focused on what is ahead. Allowing the world’s trappings to bind the heart to look back at the world will hinder the growth of the one seeking to be a disciple of the Lord. The commitment is clear in all three stories: there is no hesitation and no turning back. A committed heart is willing to forgo anything and anybody for the glory of God. If you want to follow Jesus, prepare for a change in life. There can be no delay in serving the Lord. Today is the day of salvation. When the work of the Lord is called for, there can be no hesitation or desire to go and take care of family matters. It is all or nothing.

A Christian is someone who has committed to Jesus Christ. Few are willing to take up the mantle of faith and be fully committed to the will of God. Sadly, many will make excuses as to why they cannot follow Jesus and never find the joy of God’s grace in their lives. It becomes a matter of making a commitment or making an excuse. The answers given to Jesus when He called men to Himself were excuses why these people could not and would not be His disciples. Jesus is saying to you, “Follow Me.” How are you going to answer?