Warning: This is not an easy text to study and ponder its meaning.

Jesus addresses the limits each has placed on his commitment; He focuses upon the exception clauses – the fine print – of each person’s promise to follow Him.

Premise: Anything that competes with Christ for our loyalty must be forsaken as an idol.

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Notice that in none of these three cases are we told whether or not the person ultimately followed Christ. That is not the point Luke wants to get across to us.

Jesus wants us to at least begin to recognize some of those matters that rival and hinder our commitment to Christ. Jesus is identifying those things that we love more than Him, which undermine true discipleship.

Observations Disciple #1: Appears to volunteer unconditionally. Disciple #2: Has an emergency which will delay his commitment. Disciple #3: Seems ready to follow Jesus immediately, and just wants to say good- bye to his family before leaving.

Christ’s words in response to each volunteer surprise and even amaze us. It looks as though Jesus does not want volunteers at all, as though He is trying to drive people off, rather than to “attract” followers. Why is Jesus so discouraging to these volunteers? What kind of discipleship does Jesus require?

Disciple #1 He is like a man joining the army who tells the recruiting sergeant that he will go anywhere the army will send him.

Disciple #1 But does this mean that the man is willing to give up his baggy pants for a neatly pressed uniform? Is he willing to exchange long, unkempt hair for a buz cut? Will he submit to the rigors of boot camp? Will he take orders? Will he risk his life in warfare?

Disciple #2-3 Each one of these men exemplifies a delayed commitment: “first” let me… They are willing to follow Christ, but only “when,” “if,” and “after.” They will follow sometime and somehow, but not immediately.

Disciples #2-3 #2 seems legitimate/reasonable. #3 is more trivial. *Yet Jesus treats and challenges both identically!

Implications 1.Jesus is not as quick to accept one to be a disciple and part of the group as I am. 2.Qualified commitments are really not commitments – because commitment implies 100%.

These are examples of conflicting commitments. Each one of these three men’s commitment to Christ is nullified or minimized by some other commitment. Each one professes a commitment to “follow Christ,” but only in a partial or restricted way.

CONCLUSION This text is loaded with painful, agonizing questions, but the ultimate principle is this: Nothing must be given priority over our commitment to Jesus Christ. Nothing!