Are You Ready to Follow?
Reflection on Luke 9:57–62
In the Gospel of Luke 9:57-62, Jesus encounters three individuals who either express a desire to follow Him or are invited by Him to do so. Each interaction is powerful, but also unsettling—because Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat what it means to follow Him.
“I will follow You wherever You go.”
This sounds like deep devotion, but Jesus responds with:
“Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
In other words: Are you ready to follow Me, even if it means letting go of your comfort?
Jesus is not offering status or stability—He’s offering Himself. And that is both everything and, at times, extremely costly.
To the second man, Jesus says,
“Follow Me.”
But the man replies,
“Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
And Jesus responds with:
“Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
This can feel jarring. But what Jesus is doing here is not minimizing grief or family duties—He’s exposing our tendency to delay. “Let me first…”—those words echo in many of our hearts.
"Let me first finish this project."
"Let me first take care of my future."
"Let me first settle down."
But the Gospel calls us to say “Yes, Lord”—not later, but now.
The third says:
“I will follow You, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family.”
Jesus replies:
“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Jesus uses the image of a plow because anyone plowing must look forward—if they look back, the line goes crooked. If we keep glancing over our shoulder at what we’re leaving behind—our past life, old attachments, or comforts—we will never fully walk in the direction Jesus is leading us.
This Gospel asks a direct question:
Are you really ready to follow Jesus?
Not just in word or emotion, but in action? Even when it costs you something? Even when it’s uncomfortable? Even when you don’t have all the answers?
To follow Jesus is to place Him at the center of your life—above personal plans, possessions, and even family expectations. It’s not always easy. But what He offers in return is more than anything this world could ever give: peace that lasts, joy that endures, and eternal life.
Key Takeaway:
Following Jesus means trusting Him enough to say “yes” without conditions, and walking forward without looking back.
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
You call each of us to follow You more closely each day.
Give us the courage to say “yes” without hesitation, without excuse, and without fear.
Help us to let go of the things that hold us back, and fix our eyes on You alone.
May our lives proclaim Your Kingdom, and may we never turn back once we’ve put our hand to the plow.Amen.
