Luk 9:62 | KingComments | STEP | Following the Lord brings one into all kinds of situations that allow Him to teach His disciple. In these situations, the motives of a disciple’s heart come to the surface. Someone can only follow the Lord when He calls him to do so. When a person says from himself, “I will follow You wherever You go”, it sounds good at first hearing, but it has to be made clear from which source this desire originates. For it can come from the deceitful will of man, while a person can only be a good follower if he has heard the powerful calling of grace. If there is a real calling of grace, it means the necessity to let go of all things that may prevent us from obeying that calling. When the Lord calls, the difficulties and obstacles will be felt. We see that in the following cases. But first we see someone who wants to follow the Lord in his own power, someone who thinks he is able to so. Such a man will fail in following Christ. When Peter later said something similar, he denied Him shortly thereafter ( ). One servant-girl was enough to frighten the most important of the apostles. He started to curse and swear that he did not know Him ( ). The optimism of self-awareness must be denounced by the Lord. Peter experienced this by his fall. Someone who is about to follow Him will be told the consequences by Him. Possibly the man came and wanted to follow Him because there was something to win. It seemed to him to be beneficial. The Lord says that He has nothing to give him, not even a place to rest. Those who follow Him are worse off than foxes and birds, for these animals have at least a place of rest and protection. He can offer His followers nothing but shame, suffering and loneliness. He had no place of rest, He could not lay His head down anywhere. How could He do that in a world that lies in sin? It was only on the cross that He was able to put His head down at rest after He had accomplished the work for sin. He “bowed His head” ( ) is the same word as here “to lay His head“. When someone offers himself to follow Him, He illustrates the reality of His rejection. He does this to slow down carnal enthusiasm. It’s another case when the Lord calls. As said, then come the objections, and the obstacles are felt. Just letting go of everything and face an uncertain future is too much for the flesh. Suddenly there are all kinds of things that have yet to happen “first”. These are not sinful things, they are good things in themselves. Surely burying a father is allowed, and can’t we say it’s even according to the Lord’s will? In His answer, the Lord does not make clear that the man did not have to take it so hard with the (last) tribute to His father. What matters to this man is whether Christ is more to his heart than anything or anyone else in the whole world. This man is not only called to follow Christ, but to be a witness to Him, to proclaim the kingdom of God. How will that go in his contact with other people, if he has no faith to give up everything for Christ? The message is so urgent that there can be no delay. The (spiritual) dead may well bury the (physical) dead, but they cannot possibly proclaim the kingdom of God. Only those who are called by the Lord can do so. Another person who is apparently also called by the Lord has another excuse. To him, the problem is not leaving the dead, but the living. He first wants to say good-bye properly to those who are of his household. Again, this is something that is permissible in itself, but in this case prevents a direct obedience to a command of the Lord. Whoever wants to follow the Lord must be prepared to break radically with family relationships, as James and John did ( ). Preaching the kingdom is a matter of looking ahead. It is everything or it is nothing. It cannot be the kingdom of the true God if it allows its servants to be held up by all kinds of trivial things. Christ is the First and the Last and He should be everything to the heart, otherwise He loses all importance to the heart through satan’s tricks. Looking back can become fatal, as with the wife of Lot ( ) who with her heart was attached to the things of this life and even in the light of the judgment did not come loose from it. You cannot build on someone who pursues two interests ( ). The Lord’s service requires undivided dedication.

‏ Luke 9:62

Following the Lord

Following the Lord brings one into all kinds of situations that allow Him to teach His disciple. In these situations, the motives of a disciple’s heart come to the surface. Someone can only follow the Lord when He calls him to do so. When a person says from himself, “I will follow You wherever You go”, it sounds good at first hearing, but it has to be made clear from which source this desire originates. For it can come from the deceitful will of man, while a person can only be a good follower if he has heard the powerful calling of grace.

If there is a real calling of grace, it means the necessity to let go of all things that may prevent us from obeying that calling. When the Lord calls, the difficulties and obstacles will be felt. We see that in the following cases.

But first we see someone who wants to follow the Lord in his own power, someone who thinks he is able to so. Such a man will fail in following Christ. When Peter later said something similar, he denied Him shortly thereafter (Lk 22:33). One servant-girl was enough to frighten the most important of the apostles. He started to curse and swear that he did not know Him (Mk 14:71). The optimism of self-awareness must be denounced by the Lord. Peter experienced this by his fall.

Someone who is about to follow Him will be told the consequences by Him. Possibly the man came and wanted to follow Him because there was something to win. It seemed to him to be beneficial. The Lord says that He has nothing to give him, not even a place to rest. Those who follow Him are worse off than foxes and birds, for these animals have at least a place of rest and protection.

He can offer His followers nothing but shame, suffering and loneliness. He had no place of rest, He could not lay His head down anywhere. How could He do that in a world that lies in sin? It was only on the cross that He was able to put His head down at rest after He had accomplished the work for sin. He “bowed His head” (Jn 19:30) is the same word as here “to lay His head“.

When someone offers himself to follow Him, He illustrates the reality of His rejection. He does this to slow down carnal enthusiasm. It’s another case when the Lord calls. As said, then come the objections, and the obstacles are felt. Just letting go of everything and face an uncertain future is too much for the flesh. Suddenly there are all kinds of things that have yet to happen “first”. These are not sinful things, they are good things in themselves.

Surely burying a father is allowed, and can’t we say it’s even according to the Lord’s will? In His answer, the Lord does not make clear that the man did not have to take it so hard with the (last) tribute to His father. What matters to this man is whether Christ is more to his heart than anything or anyone else in the whole world.

This man is not only called to follow Christ, but to be a witness to Him, to proclaim the kingdom of God. How will that go in his contact with other people, if he has no faith to give up everything for Christ? The message is so urgent that there can be no delay. The (spiritual) dead may well bury the (physical) dead, but they cannot possibly proclaim the kingdom of God. Only those who are called by the Lord can do so.

Another person who is apparently also called by the Lord has another excuse. To him, the problem is not leaving the dead, but the living. He first wants to say good-bye properly to those who are of his household. Again, this is something that is permissible in itself, but in this case prevents a direct obedience to a command of the Lord. Whoever wants to follow the Lord must be prepared to break radically with family relationships, as James and John did (Mt 4:22).

Preaching the kingdom is a matter of looking ahead. It is everything or it is nothing. It cannot be the kingdom of the true God if it allows its servants to be held up by all kinds of trivial things. Christ is the First and the Last and He should be everything to the heart, otherwise He loses all importance to the heart through satan’s tricks.

Looking back can become fatal, as with the wife of Lot (Gen 19:17 ; 26) who with her heart was attached to the things of this life and even in the light of the judgment did not come loose from it. You cannot build on someone who pursues two interests (Jam 1:8). The Lord’s service requires undivided dedication.