Luke 9:51-62
Set Your Face toward Jerusalem
51As the day of His ascension approached, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
52He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him.
53But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.
54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
55But Jesus turned and rebuked them.
56And He and His disciples went on to another village.
57As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
58Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
59Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.”
62Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Berean Standard Bible
When the days draw near for Jesus to be taken up, He sets His face toward Jerusalem. He sends messengers ahead into a Samaritan village to prepare for Him, but the villagers do not receive Him because His face is set toward Jerusalem.
James and John ask whether they should call down fire from heaven. Jesus rebukes them, and they go on to another village. The rejection does not make Him abandon His mission, and it does not give the disciples permission to punish people who refuse them.
As they travel, someone says he will follow Jesus wherever He goes. Jesus tells him that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. He calls another person, who asks to bury his father first; Jesus tells him to proclaim God's kingdom.
Another person wants to say farewell to those at home. Jesus says no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. These sayings are demanding, but they are spoken on the road toward Jerusalem, where Jesus Himself will bear the cost.
How We Know
Luke reports Jesus' determined journey toward Jerusalem and records three encounters about the cost of following him. The first two sayings have close parallels in Matthew 8:19-22, but the Samaritan setting and the saying about putting one's hand to the plow are distinctive to Luke.
Questions
1 Where does Jesus set His face to go?
AnswerHe sets His face toward Jerusalem as the time approaches for His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension.
2 How do James and John react to rejection?
AnswerThey want to call down fire from heaven, but Jesus rebukes them and simply goes to another village.
3 What does Jesus warn a would-be follower about?
AnswerHe warns that following Him may mean having no secure place to stay. Discipleship cannot be marketed as guaranteed comfort.
4 What do the plow and looking back picture?
AnswerThey picture undivided commitment. Jesus calls for a forward-facing obedience, not a promise made while preserving every former priority.
What This Means for Us
Jesus is resolute without being vengeful. When a village refuses Him, He does not authorize His disciples to use spiritual power to retaliate. Conviction and cruelty are not the same thing.
His calls to follow are serious, but they should not be used to manipulate people into neglecting legitimate responsibilities or relationships. Ask what loyalty to Christ requires, then pursue it with wisdom and honest counsel.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, give us a steady face toward faithful obedience and a gentle response when others reject us. Keep our household from revenge, divided loyalties, and reckless decisions made in the name of devotion. Amen.