Luk 9:57-62 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Luke 9:57-62: 9:57-62 As he traveled toward Jerusalem to suffer and die, Jesus explained the cost to those who wished to follow him.

Summary for Luke 9:57-62: 9:57-62 ^a As he traveled toward Jerusalem to suffer and die, Jesus explained the cost to those who wished to follow him.
9:58 ^b no place even to lay his head: Any disciple of Jesus must be ready to go anywhere and to give up home and security.
9:59 ^c let me ... bury my father: Respect for parents was a very important value in first-century Israel. Among other things, this meant providing them with an honorable burial. Jesus called for a commitment that took precedence over all human relationships.
Summary for Luke 9:61-62: 9:61-62 ^d let me say good-bye to my family: The statement echoes Elisha’s request of Elijah (1 Kgs 19:19-20 ^e). Jesus required an even more complete commitment from his disciples.

• puts a hand to the plow and then looks back: The ancient farmer guided a light plow with his left hand and his oxen with the right. Looking away would turn the plow out of its path. For a believer, looking back meant placing earthly concerns ahead of God.

Thematic note: The Son of Man
“Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. The phrase is just as odd in Greek as in English: It translates the Hebrew phrase ben ’adam, an idiom that means “human being” or “person” (see, e.g., Ezek 2:1-8 ^f). One reason Jesus preferred this name was because it was not an inflammatory title such as “Christ” or “Messiah.” The expression is used in three ways in the Gospels:
(1) The background to Jesus’ use of the title is Dan 7:13-14 ^g, where an exalted messianic figure “like a son of man” (that is, having human form) comes with the clouds of heaven and is given great glory and power. Jesus understood himself as the one who would return to earth in the clouds of heaven (see Mark 8:38 ^h; 13:26 ⁱ; 14:62 ^j). Sometimes Jesus used “Son of Man” in this sense, to refer to his role as judge, deliverer, savior, and vindicator (Matt 10:23 ^k; 13:41 ^l; 16:27 ^m; 19:28 ⁿ; 24:27 ^o, 30 ^p, 37 ^q, 44 ^r; 25:31 ^s; 26:64 ^t).
(2) Often Jesus used “Son of Man” to describe himself as a suffering redeemer (12:40 ^u; 17:9 ^v, 12 ^w, 22 ^x; 20:18 ^y, 28 ^z; 26:2 ^aa, 24 ^ab, 45 ^ac). This sense is rooted in Isa 52:13–53:12 ^ad.
(3) At times, Jesus apparently used “Son of Man” to refer to himself as the representative of humans (Matt 8:20 ^ae; 11:19 ^af; 12:8 ^ag, 32 ^ah; 13:37 ^ai). The book of Ezekiel uses “son of man” in a similar sense (e.g., Ezek 2:1-8 ^aj).
Jesus did not use “Son of Man” to distinguish his humanity from his deity (“Son of God”). By using this title, Jesus could define himself as Messiah on his own terms. He used “Son of Man” to describe his total identity and as a veiled suggestion that those who watched and heard him should pay attention to who he is.

Passages for Further Study
Ezek 2:1-8 ^ak; 3:1 ^al, 4 ^am, 10 ^an, 17 ^ao, 25 ^ap; 4:1 ^aq; Dan 7:13-14 ^ar; 8:17 ^as; Matt 8:18-22 ^at; 9:6 ^au; 10:23 ^av; 11:19 ^aw; 12:8 ^ax, 32 ^ay, 40 ^az; 13:37 ^ba, 41 ^bb; 16:13 ^bc, 27-28 ^bd; 17:9 ^be, 12 ^bf, 22 ^bg; 19:28 ^bh; 20:18 ^bi, 28 ^bj; 24:27 ^bk, 30 ^bl, 37-39 ^bm, 44 ^bn; 25:31 ^bo; 26:2 ^bp, 24 ^bq, 45 ^br, 64 ^bs; Mark 2:10 ^bt; John 1:51 ^bu; 3:13-14 ^bv; 5:27 ^bw; 6:27 ^bx, 53 ^by, 62 ^bz; 8:28 ^ca; 9:35 ^cb; 12:23 ^cc, 34 ^cd; 13:31 ^ce; Acts 7:56 ^cf; Heb 2:6 ^cg; Rev 1:13 ^ch; 14:14 ^ci