Jesus does not leave us guessing as to what it takes to be His disciple.  He has already said a disciple must deny himself and take up his cross daily, and that a disciple has no claim on his own life (9:23-26).  In this text He goes further and explains that a disciple can’t seek personal justice, can’t crave the comforts of the world, and can’t make anything a priority over his discipleship.  The full picture Jesus paints shows that discipleship is never just a part of our life; it IS our life.  The one who seeks to follow Jesus without making Him the basis for all of life is the double-minded man who in fact is no disciple at all. 

The cost and priority of discipleship are not the whole story, however.  We know that for the one who follows, the reward is a life rich in the love and mercy of the Savior and the promise of eternity with Him.  The ultimate lesson of these verses is that the cost of discipleship pales in comparison to the joy of following Jesus.

51
Verse 51 marks a shift in Luke’s account.  From this verse to 19:40, the story follows Jesus as He leaves Galilee and travels to Jerusalem and the culmination of His earthly ministry.  The journey is not described in a linear manner (the locations don’t follow a logical progression), but the destination is never in doubt.  Jesus makes His way to where He will die, rise again, and ascend to the Father.

Knowing what lies ahead of Him, Jesus resolutely set(s) His face to go to Jerusalem.  He doesn’t hesitate, He doesn’t equivocate, He doesn’t try to avoid it.  He knows exactly what He’s in for and determines to obey and fulfill His mission.  As He’s said on numerous occasions, He’s here to fulfill the Father’s will, not live for Himself.  It’s interesting that Luke specifically says the days are approaching for His ascension (taking up).  This goes along with what the writer of Hebrews says about Jesus’ perspective as He heads to His suffering, death, and resurrection: …fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the father (Heb 12:2).  Jesus knows what’s in front of Him, but He also knows He’s about to go back to the Father (which will fulfill His exasperated wish in 9:41 – and goes along with what He discussed with Moses and Elijah on the mountain – 9:31).

Jesus’ determination to obey even in the face of certain and horrific suffering sets an example for what He requires of His disciples.

52-56
As Jesus and His followers travel to Jerusalem from Galilee, they pass through Samaria (this is not the typical route and most Jews avoid the area, but the most direct route from Galilee to Jerusalem passes through Samaria).  Jesus sends messengers ahead to find lodging in a Samaritan city.  When the residents of the unnamed city find out the group (which might be somewhat large if it includes all twelve disciples plus other followers like the women Luke referred to earlier – 8:1-3) is going to Jerusalem, they refuse to allow them to lodge overnight.  This likely has to do with the racism that exists between the two ethnic groups but also to the ongoing dispute as to where it’s appropriate to worship God.  The Jews maintain that the temple in Jerusalem is the center of worship, whereas the Samaritans claim there is not just one place and that He can be worshiped in Samaria also.  With this controversy in mind, they essentially say, “Since you’re going to Jerusalem, you can sleep on the ground.”

When James and John – two of the three disciples (along with Peter) who witnessed the Transfiguration and who make up the inner circle – hear this, they ask Jesus if He wants them to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritan city (they presumably still have the ability to perform miracles that Jesus bestowed on them before sending them out (9:1) – they might also be channeling their inner Elijah (II Kin 1:10-12), perhaps inspired by seeing him on the mountain).  Their reaction seems oddly extreme, but it’s likely based on the enmity between the races and maybe to Jesus’ words earlier that those who receive Him receive the Father (9:48).  Since the Samaritans won’t receive Jesus, they also reject God the Father and perhaps in the brothers’ minds that’s worthy of death.

We can picture Jesus looking at the two of them and shaking His head in disbelief (although in His divinity He likely can’t be surprised).  He’s already taught them to turn the other cheek, treat others as they want to be treated, love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, pray for those who mistreat them, and be merciful as God is merciful (Lk 6:27-37).  And with all that, these two want to incinerate a whole city because the people in it refused them lodging.

We discussed in the last lesson the four failures of the disciples recorded in 9:37-50.  This would qualify as the fifth.  Even in light of all they’ve heard Jesus teach and exemplify, the disciples want to take vengeance and wipe out a city that disrespected them (and by destroying the city they’d take out not just the men who made the decision to refuse them hospitality but also every woman, child, and beast within its limits).

Jesus rebukes them for their request and the group travels on.  With this rebuke, Jesus shows that He’s not here to judge the world but to save it (Jn 3:17), but He also sets an example for the disciples.  The disciple doesn’t live in pride or fight for his rights.  The disciple denies himself and follows.  It’s not about seeking personal justice or righting every wrong; it’s about becoming more useful for the Master and becoming more like Him (I Pet 2:18-24).

57-62
It’s hard to know if these three scenes occur chronologically or Luke simply puts them together to make a point about discipleship.  Each of the three shows a different nuance of following Jesus and together show the cost, the priority, and the commitment it demands.

The first scene records someone saying, “I will follow You wherever You go.”  Jesus responds by pointing out that He (Jesus) has no possessions and no permanent home.  The lesson is that whoever follows Jesus must be willing to pay the cost.  No desire for earthly comfort or earthly possessions can stand in the way.  Jesus doesn’t focus on (or really care about) those things and His disciples can’t either.  It goes along with what He said in the Sermon on the Mount about seeking first the kingdom of God instead of worrying about physical needs (Matt 6:25-34).

The second scene shows a man who Jesus calls to discipleship but who asks to first go and bury his father.  The man’s excuse is seemingly legitimate.  In that culture, it’s a sacred duty to bury one’s parent.  Jesus, however, is not sympathetic.  He instructs the would-be follower to, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead.”  Essentially, He says to allow those who aren’t followers of Jesus (the spiritually dead) to do the burying while the disciple goes about proclaiming the kingdom of God.  This is hyperbole to show that NOTHING takes priority over discipleship.  The disciple lives and acts for the benefit of his master. Nothing – not even the critical duties of life – takes priority over that mission.

The third scene shows someone who volunteers to follow Jesus but first wants to say goodbye to his family (an allowance Elijah gave to Elisha when Elijah selected him as his successor and called him to ministry – I Kin 19:20).  Jesus makes no allowances (to be a disciple of Jesus is a higher calling than following Elijah).  He says that anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back (thus causing him to plow in a crooked line and ruin the field) is not fit for the kingdom of God. Here we see the commitment required of the disciple.  It’s all or nothing.  Either the disciple commits wholly and turns completely from his old way of life, or he remains where he is and rejects discipleship.  There is no half-way.  It’s complete commitment or no commitment.

In all these scenes Jesus demands that His disciples resolutely set their face to follow Him in obedience just as He does as He travels to Jerusalem.  The call to discipleship is ultimately a call to act and become more like the Master.  We are called to become more conformed to the image of the Son (Rom 8:29).

Summary
As we pointed out in our study of verses 23-27 of chapter 9, the call to discipleship is ruthless in its reality.  Jesus goes to great pains to make sure that all who follow Him understand the cost and the requirements.  What we must remember, however, as we read that the disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, give up claims to his life, reject earthly concerns, prioritize discipleship over all else, and commit wholly to the cause, is the One we follow.  Any cost, any sacrifice is worth it when our Master is Jesus.  We get to follow One who never leaves us, always loves us, continually overwhelms us with mercy, and who always, always, always, does what’s best for us. And what He asks us to give up pales in comparison to what we gain; we give up the shiny things of a fallen world for the joys of an eternal home. 

What we also must remember is that discipleship is a call to unworldliness.  We are called to a radically different life.  Almost without fail, if the world says it’s important, for the Jesus-follower it isn’t.  If the world says go right, the disciple goes left.  The world says life is about self-fulfillment and personal rights.  The disciple is called to self-denial and a focus on others and God.  The world says life is all about us.  Discipleship says life is all about Jesus.  No consideration of discipleship is complete without understanding that it’s a commitment to a countercultural life that sets us fundamentally apart.

Before following Jesus, the prospective disciple must count the cost and weigh the requirements of a life lived for another.  In the end, however, no hardship or sacrifice compares to a life devoted to a loving and merciful Savior who offers eternity with Him as a reward.