In 9:57-62 the Man-Savior instructs people how to follow Him. Verse 57 says, “And as they went along the road, someone said to Him, I will follow You wherever you go.” The Lord Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have roosting places, but the Son of Man has nowhere that He may lay His head.” The one in verse 57 was one of the scribes (Matt 8:19), who used to live comfortably. He saw crowds being attracted to the Savior (Matt. 8:18) and wanted to follow Him out of curiosity, without counting the cost. This was the reason the Man-Savior answered him in such a way as to cause him to consider the cost. The Savior cautioned him by pointing out that, although crowds were attracted to Him He had nowhere to rest. This indicates that it would cost considerable suffering to the one in verse 57 to follow the Lord.
In 9:58 the Lord pointed out specifically that He had nowhere to lay His head. Here we see that the Savior’s human life was a life of suffering. At His birth there was no room in the inn for Him to lie down (2:7). In His marvelous ministry there was likewise no place for Him to rest. Suffering, therefore, is a sign of His human life (2:12).
In 9:57 and 58 we see that those who want to follow the Lord Jesus out of curiosity do not know the cost of following Him. To be sure, the scribe in verse 57 did not know what it would cost him to follow the Lord. Hence the Savior warned this one that following Him would cost him much suffering.
In 9:59 the Man-Savior said to another one, “Follow Me. But he said, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” This one was called by the Savior to follow Him, but he considered his duty to his dead father and would not follow Him immediately. Hence, the Savior encouraged him to pay the price that he might become a follower in His great commission to publish the kingdom of God (v. 60).
The answer of the one who asked to first go and bury his father indicates that he overly considered the cost of following the Man-Savior. This was the reason the Lord answered him in the way of encouraging him to follow Him and set aside his considerations of the cost and to leave the burial of his father to others.
In 9:60 the Lord went on to say to the one addressed in the previous verse, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and publish the kingdom of God.” This word indicates that the burying one was spiritually dead (John 5:25; Eph. 2:1) and the one to be buried was physically dead. To engage in such a burial was to do a dead work. However, to publish the kingdom of God is a living deed, a deed that makes the dead alive to enter into the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:61 says, “And another also said, I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-by to those in my home.” The Greek words rendered “say good-by” may also be rendered “take leave of.” In verse 62 the Lord said to this one, “No one putting his hand on a plow and looking at the things behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” The third one volunteered to follow the Savior, but he would not do it before bidding farewell to his family. Hence, the Man-Savior warned this one not to let anything hold him back from the kingdom of God.
In verse 62 the Lord speaks of not putting one’s hand on the plow and looking back. Plowing requires one to concentrate all his attention on the line plowed. Just a little distraction, to say nothing of looking back, may lead the plower off the straight line. To follow the Savior requires us to forget everything else and to press straight forward for the kingdom of God.
Why does Luke insert an account of three cases of following the Lord Jesus in 9:57-62? The reason is that the Lord had been rejected by the Samaritans. Although the Samaritans had rejected the Man-Savior, certain people still were willing to follow Him. Therefore, at this juncture the Lord dealt with three different kinds of cases of those who would follow Him.
We may say that the entire world today is like the region of Samaria in that the world utterly rejects the Man-Savior. Nevertheless, in the midst of the world’s rejection of the Lord, some are willing to follow Him. In the first case, narrated in 9:57 and 58, we see that following the Lord is not an easy matter. Rather, if we would follow Him, we must be ready for the cost. In the second case, described in 9:59-60, we see that following the Lord requires us to sacrifice our dead father in order that we may proclaim the kingdom of God, that is, proclaim the jubilee. Then in the last case, seen in 9:61 and 62, we realize that we cannot look backward or be held back by anything if we are to follow the Lord. Following Him requires that we go straight ahead.
In 10:1-24 we see that the Lord appointed seventy disciples to spread His ministry. The three cases in 9:57-62 were actually a preparation for this. After this preparation, the Lord appointed the seventy to spread the jubilee.
We have seen that in 9:1-9 the Lord spread His ministry through the twelve apostles. That was in Galilee. But now, on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem and through Samaria, the need was much greater. Therefore, the Lord appointed seventy and sent them to spread the jubilee. Concerning this, 10:1 says, “Now after these things, the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to come.” The Savior appointed seventy disciples to share His ministry, even as Moses appointed seventy elders to share his burden as God charged him (Num. 11:16-17; Exo. 24:1, 9). The fact that He sent them out two by two indicates that they were sent out as witnesses (Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:16).
Luke 10:2 says, “And He said to them, The harvest indeed is vast, but the workers are few; therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust out workers into His harvest.” In His economy God has a plan to accomplish. But this plan still requires His people to beseech, that is, to pray about it. In answering their prayer, the Lord will accomplish what they have prayed concerning His plan. In particular, here the Lord tells the disciples to beseech the Lord of the harvest. The word “harvest” indicates that the kingdom of God is established with things of life that can grow and multiply. Furthermore, the title “the Lord of the harvest” indicates that the Lord is the One who owns the crop.
The way the Lord sent out the seventy in 10:1-24 is very similar to the way He sent out the twelve in 9:1-9. The Lord considered the time of this sending to be the time of jubilee, and in the jubilee no one will be short of anything. This was the reason the Lord charged the seventy not to carry anything for their need. Rather, they were to stay where they were received and eat whatever was set before them (vv. 7-8).
In 10:5 and 6 we have an important word concerning peace: “And into whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not, it shall return upon you.” In these verses the word “peace” is crucial. The Lord even uses the expression “son of peace.” The main thing in the jubilee is peace. We should greet others in peace, and they should greet us with peace. If the one we greet is a son of peace, our peace will remain with him. But if he is not a son of peace, our peace will return upon us.
In 10:10-16 we see the seriousness of rejecting the one sent by the Man-Savior. Regarding a city that rejects the Lord’s sent ones, He says, “I say to you that it will be more tolerable for Sodom in that day than for that city.” This indicates that the punishment of God’s judgment is in varying degrees. To reject the Lord’s sent ones will cause more punishment than the sin of Sodom.