Luke 9:51–62

Be Still: Breathe slowly. For a moment set aside the regrets of the past and the fears for the future, and just be present in the present.

Read: Luke 9:51–62

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ (vv57,58)

Encounter: ‘I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow…’ Have you ever said that? ‘Follow’ is one of those words that can carry different weights of meaning depending on context. You can follow an argument, follow a football team, follow a suspect (if you’re a detective!), follow a set of instructions, or follow a distant relative on Instagram.

Throughout the Gospels, crowds of people follow Jesus, but in our reading today we see that he places a very much stronger meaning on the word. Three men, and three explanations from Jesus of what it really means to follow him. The first says ‘I will follow you wherever you go’ – but it seems he wants simply to tag along with the crowd because Jesus tells him – this is not just an outing, it’s an adventure. If you really follow me, you won’t even know where you’re sleeping tonight! 

The second man wants first to bury his father (he doesn’t say whether his father has died yet!) but Jesus makes it clear that his followers should set aside distractions, even those of family. The third would like to say goodbye to his family – but Jesus points out that if you want to plough a straight furrow, you can’t afford to look back. His followers must all focus on the journey ahead, not on what they are leaving behind.

Big challenges for everyone who understands what it means to follow Jesus – be prepared for adventures, avoid distractions, and don’t look back!

Apply: Jesus challenges each of us who believe (and who are therefore children of God) to follow him, to adventure with him, to hang loose to our comfort zones, to focus on our future with him and on the coming of the kingdom. A big ask! Only through support and strength from the Holy Spirit will we even begin to respond.

Devote: Lord, I do want to follow you. Please help me to meet your challenges today.