As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 59 And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “[Lord,] let me go first and bury my father.” 60 But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” 62 [To him] Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Jesus and His disciples are now on the journey toward Jerusalem. Luke has just told us that Jesus “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). He knows that this road will lead to His suffering and death, followed by His Resurrection and Ascension. Against that background, three people encounter Jesus and learn what it means to follow Him. Jesus Himself is moving forward in complete obedience to the Father, and He calls His disciples to follow Him with the same undivided commitment.
In the first encounter, someone says to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus does not discourage him, but He makes clear what such a promise may require. Foxes and birds have places of shelter, while “the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” “Son of Man” is a title Jesus uses for Himself. Following Him does not come with a promise of comfort or security. A disciple must be prepared to accept sacrifice and uncertainty for the sake of Christ.
In the second encounter, Jesus Himself gives the command: “Follow me.” The man replies that he must first bury his father. Burying a parent was a serious religious and family obligation, an expression of the commandment to honor one’s father and mother (Exodus 20:12). Luke does not tell us whether the man’s father had already died, so his request may have meant either a brief delay or waiting until his family responsibilities were completed.
Jesus’ response is deliberately forceful: “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” He is not teaching contempt for parents or for the burial of the dead. Rather, He establishes the supreme urgency of His call. Those who have not responded to the life of the Kingdom can attend to ordinary affairs, but this man has been personally called by Jesus to follow Him and proclaim the Kingdom. The words “But you” give him a new responsibility and a share in Jesus’ mission.
In the third encounter, a person also declares his willingness to follow Jesus, but adds, “first let me say farewell to my family at home.” His request recalls Elisha, who was plowing when the prophet Elijah called him. Elisha asked permission to kiss his father and mother goodbye, and Elijah allowed him to do so before Elisha followed him (1 Kings 19:19–21).
Jesus now demands something greater: “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” A light plow of that time required the plowman’s concentrated attention. A plowman who kept looking behind him would not cut a straight furrow. In the same way, discipleship requires a person to look forward and remain directed toward Christ and His Kingdom.
The comparison with Elijah also reveals something about Jesus Himself. He is more than another prophet. Peter has already confessed Him as “The Messiah of God” (Luke 9:20), and the Father has declared, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him” (Luke 9:35). Because of who Jesus is, His call has a claim upon the whole person.
The three encounters therefore move from initial willingness to the demanding reality of discipleship. Following Jesus may require sacrifice. His call cannot continually be postponed until every other concern has been settled. And once a person has begun to follow Him, the disciple must continue forward rather than allowing competing attachments to draw the heart away from the Kingdom.
Jesus’ words invite every disciple to ask what truly comes first. Family, work, possessions, security, and other responsibilities have their proper place, but none can take the place that belongs to Christ. The disciple follows Him with an undivided heart and joins in His mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
Lord Jesus, give us the grace to follow You faithfully, to place Your Kingdom first, and to remain steadfast when discipleship requires sacrifice. Keep our hearts fixed upon You and strengthen us to carry out the work You have given us. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Notes on Luke 9:57–62.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. 127.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. 291.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. 701, para. 121.
- Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018. 196–98.
- Aguilar Chiu, Jose Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 1064–65.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition. London: T&T Clark, 2022. 1324–25.
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