March 5th, 2025
Wednesday, March 5th
3 Questions
Nicole Goddard
Did you catch the story of the three disciple prospects in the final verses of Luke Chapter 9 in today’s reading?
The first individual eagerly approached Jesus proclaiming he would follow him anywhere, to which Jesus replied, “The Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:58. Cliff notes: A life following Jesus is bound to be uncomfortable. We will sacrifice much to live out the gospel.
When Jesus asked the second to follow him, the person proclaimed his need to bury his father. Jesus said to him “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:60. Jesus’ response sounds harsh, but culturally in that day, such a process could take months to complete. The urgent need to share the good news cannot wait for a better season in our lives.
To the last that asked to say goodbye to his family before following Jesus, Jesus responded “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 Indecisiveness and distractions will stall and even halt our ministry work.
This passage presents three crucial questions to every follower of Christ:
Am I going to choose comfort over the call to Jesus?
Am I going to prioritize spreading the gospel over my own agenda?
Am I going to hold back, procrastinating my work for the kingdom?
I regretfully have answered yes to all of these. The costs of discipleship have been outweighed time and again by my desires for comfort, my to-do lists and distractions. But thank God, his mercies are new every morning and each day grants me an opportunity to get up and try again!
Luke 9:46-62
GOD’S WORD Translation
Greatness in the Kingdom
46 A discussion started among them about who would be the greatest. 47 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest.”
Using the Name of Jesus
49 John replied, “Master, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Don’t stop him! Whoever isn’t against you is for you.”
People from a Samaritan Village Reject Jesus
51 The time was coming closer for Jesus to be taken to heaven. So he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They went into a Samaritan village to arrange a place for him to stay. 53 But the people didn’t welcome him, because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 James and John, his disciples, saw this. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?”
55 But he turned and corrected them.[a] 56 So they went to another village.
What It Takes to Be a Disciple
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”
59 He told another man, “Follow me!”
But the man said, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about God’s kingdom.”
61 Another said, “I’ll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye.”
62 Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for God’s kingdom.”
3 Questions
Nicole Goddard
Did you catch the story of the three disciple prospects in the final verses of Luke Chapter 9 in today’s reading?
The first individual eagerly approached Jesus proclaiming he would follow him anywhere, to which Jesus replied, “The Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:58. Cliff notes: A life following Jesus is bound to be uncomfortable. We will sacrifice much to live out the gospel.
When Jesus asked the second to follow him, the person proclaimed his need to bury his father. Jesus said to him “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:60. Jesus’ response sounds harsh, but culturally in that day, such a process could take months to complete. The urgent need to share the good news cannot wait for a better season in our lives.
To the last that asked to say goodbye to his family before following Jesus, Jesus responded “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 Indecisiveness and distractions will stall and even halt our ministry work.
This passage presents three crucial questions to every follower of Christ:
Am I going to choose comfort over the call to Jesus?
Am I going to prioritize spreading the gospel over my own agenda?
Am I going to hold back, procrastinating my work for the kingdom?
I regretfully have answered yes to all of these. The costs of discipleship have been outweighed time and again by my desires for comfort, my to-do lists and distractions. But thank God, his mercies are new every morning and each day grants me an opportunity to get up and try again!
Luke 9:46-62
GOD’S WORD Translation
Greatness in the Kingdom
46 A discussion started among them about who would be the greatest. 47 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest.”
Using the Name of Jesus
49 John replied, “Master, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Don’t stop him! Whoever isn’t against you is for you.”
People from a Samaritan Village Reject Jesus
51 The time was coming closer for Jesus to be taken to heaven. So he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They went into a Samaritan village to arrange a place for him to stay. 53 But the people didn’t welcome him, because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 James and John, his disciples, saw this. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?”
55 But he turned and corrected them.[a] 56 So they went to another village.
What It Takes to Be a Disciple
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”
59 He told another man, “Follow me!”
But the man said, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about God’s kingdom.”
61 Another said, “I’ll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye.”
62 Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for God’s kingdom.”
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