Understanding Discipleship

Luke 9:57-62

In this portion of the chapter, we find Jesus still making His way back toward Jerusalem.

Along the way, He has been teaching His disciples about what it truly means to follow Him.

He has taught them about humility, after they began arguing about who would be the greatest in His kingdom.

After the Samaritans would not receive Him in their city, he taught the disciples about His mercy and benevolence.

Through the teaching, the disciples learned that salvation costs the sinner nothing, but that discipleship requires self-sacrifice and humility.

“The entrance fee into the kingdom of heaven is nothing: the annual subscription is everything.”—Henry Drummond

“Salvation is the miracle of a moment; discipleship is the process of a lifetime.”—Source Unknown

From this passage we will learn about how three individuals were challenged about being a true disciple of Christ.

From these three men, we will learn three important decisions that must be made in order to truly be a disciple.

Earlier in this chapter, Jesus defined what it means to be His follower:

Luke 9:23–25 KJV

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Luke records three men who each had the opportunity to follow Christ.

Each one teaches us a lesson about what it means — and what it costs — to be a true disciple.

Let’s look first at the man who struggled with provision.

I. No Regard for Provision

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Part of being a disciple entails trusting God to provide for your physical needs.

“The supreme challenge you will face in making Christ-honoring, biblical changes is dying to self. The biblical perspective concerning ‘self’ is exactly opposite to what the wisdom of this world proclaims.”—Biblical Counseling Foundation

A. A Thoughtless Decision

57b “… I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.”

It seems that this man viewed discipleship as a career opportunity.

It is clear that he did not put a lot of thought into it.

1. He Didn’t Understand the Commitment

Definition: Follow, from Greek akoloutheo—meaning to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple.

Jesus was not merely a rabbi.

His claims challenged the views commonly held by the people.

Jesus therefore wants more than a student.

It was common for students in Judaism to live with their teachers in order to learn from them.

Jesus was offering a more compelling and dangerous course.

To follow Jesus means more than sitting at His feet and learning.

It is a reorientation of life, and involves suffering and perhaps death.

A young man once enlisted in the military thinking it would be an adventure and a good way to see the world.

But within weeks of boot camp, the reality of long marches, strict discipline, and harsh conditions set in.

He told a fellow recruit, “This isn’t what I signed up for.”

The other replied, “No—it’s exactly what you signed up for. You just didn’t think it through.”

Many people say “I’ll follow Jesus,” but they never count the cost.

Jesus reminds us that discipleship is not a weekend adventure, it’s a lifelong sacrifice.

2. He Did Not Understand the Scope

To follow Jesus requires a person to abandon everything in his life that could distract him from Jesus.

It requires everything.

John 6:64–66 KJV

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

B. An Unexpected Destiny

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

If someone is to go wherever Jesus goes, he has to be ready to experience the same rejection that Christ did.

This man did not count the cost of true discipleship: the inconveniences to his life.

What kind of costs?

Well, it may mean persecution!

John 15:18–20 KJV

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

To be a follower of Christ meant more than just following another teacher of that day.

Here in this verse Jesus describes what disciples can expect if they choose to follow Him.

His situation is worse than that of the animals, which at least have a place to sleep each night.

Paul felt the loneliness of serving the Lord

Philippians 2:19–21 KJV

19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. 20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

Quote: “A disciple of Jesus must realize that following Him means living as a stranger in the world.”—Darrell L. Bock

Jesus left to us a perfect example of this type of sacrifice.

2 Corinthians 8:9 KJV

9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

This first man didn’t think through the cost — he thought discipleship was about comfort.

But the next man shows us a different problem: not comfort, but convenience.

His struggle wasn’t with provision, but with his priorities.

II. No Reservation of Schedule

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Jesus now calls on a man to follow Him, but this man wants to prioritize his own schedule above a commitment to the Lord.

He gives…

A. A Serious Call

59a - “And he said unto another, Follow me.”

Jesus requested this disciple to follow Him.

This was a serious call that would require him to place Jesus Christ first in every area of his life.

B. A Delayed Answer

59b- “…But he said, Lord, suffer me first ot go and bury my father.”

In that day, it was expected of children to honor their father and mother, based upon the Ten Commandments.

As a child’s parents grew older, the children were required to look after and care for them.

As they were dying, the children were definitely supposed to be present.

However, the man’s father was not dead.

If he were dead, this man would not have been with Jesus.

He was really telling Jesus to wait until later.

He wanted to wait and care for earthly matters, rather than see the urgency of the moment to follow Christ.

This man wanted to ensure that he would have good standing with his family and receive the inheritance.

C. A Sad Rebuttal

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Instead of validating the man’s excuse with a kind word, Jesus rebuked him for his misplaced priorities.

1. A Stern Rebuke

“Let the dead bury their dead…”

Matthew 6:24 KJV

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Jesus responded sharply to demonstrate the priority that discipleship must have for a person who wants to follow Him.

“Jesus is not suggesting here that we dishonor our parents, but only that we not permit our love for family to weaken our love for the Lord.”—Warren Wiersbe

“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”—C.T. Studd

2. A Strong Command

“…but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”

Definition: Preach, from Greek diaggello—meaning to carry a message through, announce everywhere, through places, through assemblies of men, etc.

Jesus does not want this man to potentially waste years or decades of his life.

Therefore He commands the man to preach to those who are alive and capable of repenting.

Quote: “I know of nothing which I would choose to have as the subject of my ambition for life than to be kept faithful to my God til death: still to be a soul winner, still to be a true herald of the cross, and testify the name of Jesus to the last hour.”—C.H. Spurgeon

1 Corinthians 9:16 KJV

16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

2 Timothy 2:4 KJV

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

So one man was careless, another was delayed.

But the third man shows us yet another danger: trying to follow Christ while keeping one eye on the past.

Jesus reminds us that discipleship is forward-facing — there’s no looking back.

III. No Retreat to the Past

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

The last person to approach Jesus wanted to say good-bye to his family before following Jesus.

A. Follow with One Focus

This man wanted to follow Jesus, He even approached Jesus about it.

But he still was looking back.

The word “bid farewell” (apotassō) means to separate or withdraw from someone.

He wasn’t asking for an indefinite delay, like the man before him — just a moment.

But even in that moment, Jesus saw a heart still tied to the past.

Luke alone recorded this third conversation, showing its importance.

Jesus makes it clear that disciipleship demands undivided loyalty, even above family ties.

Luke 14:26 KJV

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

B. Follow without Any Distraction

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Jesus is teaching that they must avoid everything that would distract them from following Christ.

The plowman must keep his eyes forward; one backward glance ruins the furrow.

Discipleship is forward-facing — it cannot succeed if we are constantly glancing back at the old life.

Distractions can cause us to miss out on significant experiences in life.

Golf immortal Arnold Palmer recalls a lesson about overconfidence: “It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot.

I felt I was in pretty good shape.

As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery.

He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, ‘Congratulations.’ I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus.

On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trap, then put it over the edge of the green.

I missed a putt and lost the Masters.

You don’t forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again.”

This time spent saying “good-bye” was not something Jesus would permit.

“Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32)

Quote: “Looking back is continued action. A farmer who is plowing must always look forward if he is to plow a straight furrow.”—Wycliffe Bible Commentary

The point is not that saying good-bye is wrong, but that divided attention is deadly.

Jesus demands forward focus because the kingdom’s work is too urgent to tolerate hesitation.

Quote: “The motto of every missionary, whether preacher, printer, or schoolmaster, ought to be ‘Devoted for life.’” —Adoniram Judson

These three conversations aren’t just history lessons — they are heart checks for us.

Jesus used these men to show us the very things that often hold us back.

So let’s bring it home.

How are you following Jesus?

Conclusion

Are you following Him with worry about your provision?

Remember, He has promised,

Philippians 4:19 KJV

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The call to discipleship is a call to trust that God provides for His own.

Are you following Him only when it fits your schedule?

Many will follow Christ when it is convenient, but true discipleship demands that He comes before family, career, and personal ambition.

Jesus must not be just a part of your life — He needs to be the priority of your life.

Are you following Him while still looking back at the past?

The call of Christ is forward-facing.

There is no retreat, no return, and no divided loyalty.

“Remember Lot’s wife.”

Jesus demands that we fix our eyes on Him and press toward the mark.

Discipleship is not cheap.

It is not comfortable.

It is not casual.

It is costly, it is daily, and it is total.

But it is worth it — because Jesus is worth it.

So I ask you: what excuse are you holding onto?

What distraction is keeping you from following Christ wholeheartedly?

Lay it down today, and follow Him without reservation, without delay, and without retreat.