Jesus' Words  / On Following Jesus

On Following Jesus

Luke 9:57–62 · §176


57As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.”

58Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59He said to another, “Follow me!”

But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

60But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.”

61Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”

62But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”

Same passage in the King James Version

57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Parallel passages

Gospel of Thomas

Thomas 86: Jesus said, "The foxes have dens and the birds have nests, but the Son of Humanity has nowhere to lay his head and rest." (a parallel saying preserved outside the four Gospels)

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