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A Samaritan Town

51 The time was coming near when Jesus would leave and go back to heaven. He decided to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent some men ahead of him. They went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for him. 53 But the people there would not welcome Jesus because he was going toward Jerusalem. 54 James and John, the followers of Jesus, saw this. They said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?”[a]

55 But Jesus turned and criticized them for saying this.[b] 56 Then he and his followers went to another town.

Following Jesus(A)

57 They were all traveling along the road. Someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you anywhere you go.”

58 He answered, “The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place where he can rest his head.”

59 Jesus said to another man, “Follow me!”

But the man said, “Lord, let me go and bury my father first.”

60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the people who are dead bury their own dead. You must go and tell about God’s kingdom.”

61 Another man said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus said, “Anyone who begins to plow a field but looks back is not prepared for God’s kingdom.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 9:54 Some Greek copies add “as Elijah did?”
  2. Luke 9:55 Some Greek copies add “And he said, ‘You don’t know what kind of spirit you belong to. 56 The Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives but to save them.’”

Samaritan Opposition

51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,(A) Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.(B) 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan(C) village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John(D) saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[a]?”(E) 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus(F)

57 As they were walking along the road,(G) 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(H) has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”(I)

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.”(J)

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”(K)

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 9:54 Some manuscripts them, just as Elijah did