Luke 9:57

And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(57-60) Lord, I will follow thee.—See Notes on Matthew 8:19-22. The two anecdotes, if we may so call them, are placed by the two Evangelists in a very different connection. It is clear that their isolated, fragmentary character, with no definite notes of time and place, left a large margin to the discretion of each compiler as to where they should appear. The difference between the “certain man” of St. Luke’s report, and the “scribe” of St. Matthew’s, slight as it is, takes its place among the signs of the mutual independence of the two Gospels.

Benson Commentary

Luke 9:57-62. And it came to pass as they went in the way — This and the following seem to be the same occurrences with those mentioned by Matthew, which took place as Christ was in the neighbourhood of Capernaum, going from that town to the shore, where he proposed to embark, in order to cross the lake, and not on his way to Jerusalem through the country of the Samaritans. See notes on Matthew 8:19-22. And Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, &c. — Jesus, knowing that the man proposed to himself riches and honours in the expected kingdom of the Messiah, thought fit to make him sensible of his mistake. As if he had said, Understand the terms: consider on what conditions thou art to follow me. He said to another, Follow me — About the same time, our Lord meeting with one who had often attended him, and thereby showed an inclination to become his disciple, he ordered him to disengage himself altogether from worldly affairs and follow him; but he said, Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father — The man excused himself on pretence that he was bound in duty to wait on an aged father, till he should pay him the last office in his burial. Jesus said, Let the dead bury their dead — Let those who are dead in sin, or who are so immersed in worldly affairs that they are dead to God and divine things, employ themselves in committing to the dust their deceased friends and relatives. But go thou and preach the kingdom of God — It is justly observed by Dr. Doddridge, that, “as our Lord called him now to follow him, we must conclude that this commission which he gives him to preach was not directly to be put in execution. The circumstance was plainly extraordinary, and might turn on reasons unknown to us. Christ might, for instance, foresee some particular obstruction that would have arisen from the interview with his friends at his father’s funeral, which would have prevented his devoting himself to the ministry; to which he might refer in saying, Let the dead bury their dead.” And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee — Unto a third, who of his own accord offered to follow him, if he would allow him to go home and take leave of his family, Jesus gave such an answer as teaches us that no domestic affair should hinder the care of our salvation; that the calls of religion are so very pressing, that they admit of no delay or excuse whatsoever; and that all who set themselves to seek the welfare of their souls should pursue the work assiduously, without looking carelessly around them, as if they neglected what they were doing. He said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, &c., is fit for the kingdom of God — Either to receive and become a subject of it, or to preach it. “Hesiod has given it as the character of a good ploughman, that, ‘he keeps his mind intent on his work,’ that he may make ‘a straight furrow,’ and does not allow himself ‘to gaze about on his companions.’ Our Lord, on the like obvious principles, may use the phrase of one that looks behind him while his hand is on the plough, as a kind of proverbial expression for a careless, irresolute person, who must be peculiarly unfit for the Christian ministry. How happy had it been for Christ’s church had this lively admonition been regarded, without which it is impossible, ορθοτομειν τον λογον της αληθειας, to divide, or rather direct the word of truth aright,” 2 Timothy 2:15.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:57-62 Here is one that is forward to follow Christ, but seems to have been hasty and rash, and not to have counted the cost. If we mean to follow Christ, we must lay aside the thoughts of great things in the world. Let us not try to join the profession of Christianity, with seeking after worldly advantages. Here is another that seems resolved to follow Christ, but he begs a short delay. To this man Christ first gave the call; he said to him, Follow me. Religion teaches us to be kind and good, to show piety at home, and to requite our parents; but we must not make these an excuse for neglecting our duty to God. Here is another that is willing to follow Christ, but he must have a little time to talk with his friends about it, and to set in order his household affairs, and give directions concerning them. He seemed to have worldly concerns more upon his heart than he ought to have, and he was willing to enter into a temptation leading him from his purpose of following Christ. No one can do any business in a proper manner, if he is attending to other things. Those who begin with the work of God, must resolve to go on, or they will make nothing of it. Looking back, leads to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition. He only that endures to the end shall be saved.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 8:19-22.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Lu 9:57-62. Incidents Illustrative of Discipleship.

The Precipitate Disciple (Lu 9:57, 58).

(See on [1618]Mt 8:19, 20.)

The Procrastinating Disciple (Lu 9:59, 60).

(See on [1619]Mt 8:21).

The Irresolute Disciple (Lu 9:61, 62).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 57,58. Matthew saith, Matthew 8:19, this man was a scribe. See Poole on "Matthew 8:19". Let those who have stately houses, and think them worth glorying in, or that they are things fit for men to value themselves upon, despising their poor brethren that want such accommodations of this life, digest this text.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And it came to pass, as they went in the way,.... From one village of the Samaritans, to the other; though if this is the same history related in Matthew 8:19 it was as Christ went from Capernaum to the sea side, in order to go to the other side of it; and must be inserted here, without regard to the order of time:

a certain man said unto him; if the same as in Matthew, he is there said to be a "Scribe";

Lord, I will follow thee, wheresoever thou goest. The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read these words by way of question, "Lord, shall I not follow thee wheresoever thou goest?" See Gill on Matthew 8:19.

Geneva Study Bible

{13} And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

(13) Those who follow Christ must prepare themselves to endure all discomforts.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 9:57-60. See on Matthew 8:19-22, who has placed the incidents earlier. These little narratives circulated probably in general without definite historical arrangement. Arbitrarily enough, Lange[125] finds the three unnamed ones that follow, Luke 9:57; Luke 9:59; Luke 9:61, in Judas Iscariot, Thomas, and Matthew. According to Luke, they were assuredly none of the twelve (Luke 6:13 ff.).

πορευομένων αὐτῶν] to wit, εἰς ἑτέραν κώμην, Luke 9:56.

ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ] is to be taken with what follows (Lachmann). If, as is usually the case, it were connected with πορ. αὐτ., it would simply be useless.

ἀπελθόντι] Case of attraction, Kühner, II. p. 344.

Luke 9:60. διάγγελλε κ.τ.λ.] announce everywhere (διά, comp. Romans 9:17) the kingdom of God, the imminent establishment of the Messiah’s kingdom.

[125] He—just as arbitrarily, since the brief narratives omit all such details—represents the first as being of a sanguine, the second of a melancholic, the third of a phlegmatic temperament. See L. J. III. p. 424.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 9:57-62. New disciples.—ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ: the indication of time is not precise. It does not mean, on the way to the other village, mentioned just before (Meyer), but on the way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Grotius thinks the connection is purely topical. “Visum est Lucae connectere τὰ ὁμογενέα.” The first two of the three cases are reported by Mt. (Matthew 8:19-22).—τις: Mt. (Matthew 8:19) designates this certain one a scribe.—ἀπέρχη implies a departure from a place. It would be a leaving of home for the disciple.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

57-62. The Three Aspirants.

57. as they went in the way] St Matthew (Matthew 8:19-22) places these incidents before the embarkation for Gergesa. Lange’s conjecture that the three aspirants were Judas Iscariot, Thomas, and Matthew is singularly baseless.

a certain man] a Scribe (Matthew 8:19). The dignity of his rank was nothing to Him who had chosen among His Twelve a zealot and a publican.

whithersoever thou goest] There was too little of ‘the modesty of fearful duty’ in the Scribe’s professions.

Bengel's Gnomen

[57. Εἶπέ τις πρὸς αὐτὸν, a certain man said unto Him) Three persons are recorded in this place as having been stirred up to follow Christ, of whom the two first, who had been mentioned already by Matthew (ch. Matthew 8:19-22), are, now that the suitable occasion presents itself (ch. Luke 10:1, which follows immediately after), joined to a third, who has been adopted (enrolled) by Luke among the number of the Seventy, as we may conjecture.—Harm., p. 388.]

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 57-62. - Three would-be disciples. The Lord, in plain terms, tells them what is required of men who seek his service. The first two of these incidents in the life of Jesus are related by St. Matthew (Matthew 7:19-22), but he places them in an earlier period. They evidently did not occur together, but most probably they took place about this time in the ministry. They are placed in one group as examples of the way in which the Master replied to numerous offers of service made to him under different conditions. Verses 57, 58. - Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. St. Matthew tells us that the "certain man" who made this offer of service was a scribe. This detail is useful, as showing that those who were attracted by our Lord's teaching were by no means confined to the peasant and artisan class. If we look a little below the surface of the gospel story, we find numberless indications of this. In the Master's reply it is probable that the depression, naturally the result of the churlish refusal of the Samaritan villagers to receive him (ver. 53), coloured the sad but true reflection. The wise Master distrusted the too-ready enthusiasm of his would-be disciple. He saw it would never stand the test of the severe privation or the painful self-sacrifice which would be the sure lot of any one, especially at that juncture, really faithful to him. Luke 9:57

Vincent's Word Studies

A certain man

Matthew, a scribe.

Thou goest (ἀπέρχῃ)

Lit., "goest away" (ἀπό). I will follow thee whithersoever-away thou goest.