Today’s passage: Luke 9:51-62
Helpful thoughts:
- John 12:47 – “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”
- Matthew 8:18-20 identifies the first man in verse 57-62 as a scribe. From the world’s perspective, Jesus would have had much to gain by adding a scribe to His “entourage.” But, Jesus knew why the man had come.
- “Bury my father” is being used for more than the literal burial. Burials occurred on the day of death in that time. This man wanted to see out his father’s life in order to get his inheritance.
- Look back to Luke 9:23-24.
Questions to consider:
- How can verses 51-56 teach us concerning how we speak to the lost? And about the lost? Should there be a group of people we hate? Should we desire to see people suffer? What kinds of words should come from our mouths (James 3:8-12)?
- How would you describe these barriers to following Jesus presented in verses 57-62? What did these men want more than to follow Christ?
- What would you be (Or have been) most prone to say, “But let me first” about before following Christ? How do you remind yourself of the promises of God in Christ which outweigh the value of our earthly temporal desires?