Luke 9:59-62

Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:59-62

Jesus never hid the cost of discipleship. He told the rich young ruler to sell everything, take up his cross, and follow Him. Three others in Luke 9 expressed desire to follow Jesus but had conditions. Desire alone is not enough—obedience is required. Following Jesus means continual forward movement, not looking back.

The call to discipleship is a call to surrender, suffer, and sacrifice. Yet here’s the beautiful promise: the reward always exceeds the sacrifice. What Jesus asks us to lay down, He replaces a hundredfold. Don’t focus on what you’re giving up; focus on what you’re gaining—eternal life, deeper relationships, and the presence of God Himself.

Pastor Wade O’Neill