Luke 9:57-62 (Excuses)
THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS - "As they were going along the road, someone said to him, '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.' To another he said, 'Follow me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' And Jesus said to him, 'Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Yet another said, 'I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God'" (Luke 9:57-62).
Excuses. We all have them—some good, some bad. They represent the choices we make by justifying the reasons behind our actions.
More often than not, we view excuses in a negative light, but they can be positive as well. Here in Luke 9:57-62, we are faced with the dilemma of how reasonable excuses are challenged by Jesus for their superficial nature because they mask true heart desire.
In each of the three examples provided, we see potential Christ-followers blinded by fear, insecurity, and lack of understanding. The Bible does not disclose their final outcome. It only focuses on their initial gut reaction because what comes to mind first typically exposes the heart.
Scripture reminds us, "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man" (Proverbs 27:19). Therefore, we are wise to quickly discern what our true heart reflects to discern whether we fall victim to rationalizing our lack of Biblical application, or whether we have learned to die to excuses and obey the teachings of our Lord and Savior.
"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?'" (Matthew 16:24-26).
Make no mistake, the path of righteousness is a hard and narrow road. But to the one who is willing to trust in God's sovereignty, heart-transformation is both possible and probable to ensure we answer, "Yes, Lord," by faith rather than default to excuses which bind our hearts and reveal our lack of trust in Jesus.
PERSPECTIVE:
The challenge many have with Luke 9:57-62 is that it feels abrasive, cold and unloving. On the surface, all three excuses are relatively reasonable and provide just enough temptation to quickly brush past them without the slightest consideration.
Yet when we dig deeper into Jesus' response to each potential follower, we realize we are similarly guilty of rationalizing our own behaviors in order to sidestep personal responsibility and sacrifice.
In no way were the superficial desires of these followers' hearts disingenuous. It would appear they sincerely desired to follow Jesus. However, their superficiality became front and center when Jesus abruptly confronted them with not so much ultimatums, but accountability.
Keep in mind, "The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out" (Proverbs 20:5). Jesus is that man of understanding in the lives of those who call upon His name for salvation. However, we must also recognize that "many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6).
Push comes to shove when our excuses are confronted with truth. The real question is to what extent are we willing to embrace truth enough to lay down our pride, selfishness, fears and insecurities, and subsequently deny our flesh, take up our cross, and follow Jesus no matter the cost?
The true mark of a disciple is found in our willingness to die to self for the sake of the Gospel. Paul reminds us, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).
Our minds will never be renewed if they are cut off from hearing the truth of God's Word, because excuses flourish in an environment where accountability is absent.
EXCUSE #1:
Perhaps some of us have spoken the same words, "I will follow you wherever you go" (Luke 9:57), that the first potential Christ-follower did. It sounds like the right answer—proclaiming our ending love and willingness to fulfill Matthew 16:23-26, but is that completely true?
The rebuke Jesus gives paints quite the picture of what true discipleship entails, which is a willingness to embrace poverty, hardship, and persecution (just as He did) if that is what God wills. In other words, comfort is no guarantee—quite the contrary!
Passages like this are certainly not popular in churches where prosperity doctrine is falsely taught, because Jesus is essentially challenging how we view health and wealth. That is not to say those of us who have wealth should feel guilty for the blessings God has given.
However, when push comes to shove, are we willing to relinquish control of our personal resources if the Lord asks us to? In other words, how tight a grip do we hold on our bank accounts? How comfortable is our standard of living? Do we seek opportunities each day to give generously and serve others, or do we discreetly funnel life circumstances for our benefit at the expense of others?
"Thus says the LORD: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD'" (Jeremiah 17:5).
It is sobering to realize how self-protecting we truly are when faced with adversity and/or held accountable to God's Word, but accountability is a blessing if we embrace it unto application.
Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13-14).
Therefore, before we proclaim our willingness to follow Jesus wherever He would go, we are wise to count the cost of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and then compare that to the price Jesus paid on the cross for our sins. Perhaps then we will realize how priceless a gift we have been given for no other reason except love.
"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
EXCUSE #2:
Concerning the second potential Christ-follower, we are faced with the dilemma of loyalty and allegiance. Again, the excuse provided is not unreasonable: "Lord, let me first go and bury my father" (Luke 9:59). In fact, many would argue this is indeed a Biblical responsibility reserved for the eldest son.
How then could Jesus rebuke a man who prioritizes family obligations? Are we not called to love, protect, serve, and provide for our families? Yes, of course, but we are challenged to sift through the reactionary layers of our hearts to uncover the true message Jesus is driving at.
In no way is Jesus contradicting Biblical obligations regarding the family unit. But if our family becomes an idol in our hearts drawing us away from loving God first and foremost, we must address our priorities. God must always come before our spouses, and our spouses before our children (because they are the offspring of marriage).
That is why when Jesus was confronted with the question of where heart allegiance must be prioritized, He said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39).
In no way was Jesus being insensitive to this potential follower's desire to bury his father, but there was also no timetable given regarding this man's reasoning either (not that it ultimately matters). Prolonging or putting off a decision to follow Christ assumes we will have life and breath in the future to make such a decision.
In many ways, it exposes our arrogance to presume we can predict the future but also reveals who comes first in our hearts, eternally-speaking. Priorities can become easily complicated because many of us assume our family comes first. However, we must realize that placing anything or anyone BEFORE God will always become a divisive wedge in our faith walk if we allow it.
EXCUSE #3:
The final “would-be” follower presents a completely different angle regarding excuses, which is perhaps most pervasive within our hearts. This justification centers around whose voice takes precedence in our decision-making. Again, the superficial request seems more than reasonable: "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home" (Luke 9:61).
This man's commitment seems firm that He would follow Jesus. He merely needed a few minutes to say goodbye to his family first. In some ways, we could argue that Jesus is confronting this man's hesitation in prioritizing His command.
What seems even more apparent is Jesus knows the more time this man has to essentially "reconsider" his decision, the more likely he will abandon following altogether due to the influence of those around him who do not share his beliefs, understand his rationale, nor approve of his decision.
If we think of it logically, the likelihood this man's wife, father, mother, or children talk him out of leaving, or at least challenge his decision to force him to reconsider, are extremely high. That is why Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).
It is virtually impossible to plow a straight row while looking backward because the plow must be aligned with a target in focus to remain on track. Therefore, the likelihood we are tempted to compromise our commitment to Jesus if those we love do not approve or support our decision is probable.
Let us be clear, though. Jesus is NOT condemning our family commitments. Rather, He is challenging our priorities IF we allow anyone or anything to come before our commitment to love and serve Him unconditionally. It is a matter of trust, and we must decide whose voice we prioritize most to fulfill our needs.
APPLICATION:
The people of Israel struggled similarly. After spies returned from scouting the promised land, only Joshua and Caleb felt the inhabitants of Canaan could be conquered just as Lord had promised. However, the remaining spies spread fear and unbelief throughout the camp to the point where people considered returning to enslavement in Egypt rather than trusting the Lord, despite the countless miracles God performed on their behalf for continued survival.
"And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?' And they said to one another, 'Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt'" (Numbers 14:2-4).
In a time where faith was needed most, Israel shuddered under the weight of uncertainty and fear rather than embrace the present freedom God provides to those who trust in His name. Therefore, let us ask ourselves:
How tight a grip do we hold to our past which blinds us from looking forward?
Are we struggling to forgive ourselves of past sins we have already repented for, and sought reconciliation with God and those we sinned against?
Has the death of a loved one crippled our desire to move on with our lives?
Have we experienced pain or abuse we've never truly forgiven or received counseling for?
Whatever the case may be, if we do not embrace the true freedom in Christ we have been given by grace, we will never experience the power of the Holy Spirit inspiring positive change and/or healing in our lives by breaking the chains of our past which bind and enslave us.
"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you" (Psalm 9:9-10).
BOTTOM-LINE:
Collectively, all three examples we are given in Luke 9:57-62 relate to the personal comforts of our homes and/or the responsibilities we have to our families. What we cannot miss in this passage is that Jesus is not condemning either.
In other words, Jesus is not commanding us as men to walk out and abandon our families for the sake of the Gospel. That would not be consistent with Scripture which states, "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Timothy 5:8).
Rather, Jesus is testing to what extent our true allegiance lies just as He did with Abraham.
"After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' He said, 'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you'" (Genesis 22:1–2).
In the end, God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, and neither would He expect us to do the same. It can be easy to misinterpret Luke 9:57-62 due to the stern rebuke Jesus gives His potential followers, but He does us an incredible favor in the process by not painting a misleading picture of what true Christianity looks like.
The Christian faith requires dying to self, serving and forgiving others, enduring ridicule, suffering persecution, etc., all because the eternal benefits of following Jesus outweigh the temporary fears, risks, and personal sacrifices we assuredly endure on His behalf. The key is remembering the big picture of the Gospel, which keeps our eyes focused on the plow and our personal will submissive to the Lord's.
Because if we allow idols to capture our hearts, we will never fully give God the glory He is due because we are preoccupied by our flesh. Therefore, we must be mindful "whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him" (1 John 4:15-16).
