This passage begins at 9:51 as Jesus "sets his face to go to Jerusalem" and concludes nearly ten chapters later (19:27) with Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Luke’s journey narrative is indeed fitting for the Pentecost Season with its focus in Christian discipleship. Luke’s teachings reveal themselves “on the road” which sets his Gospel off from the others.
The text relates two different scenes on this journey: in the village of the Samaritans (9:51-56) and on the road between villages (9:57-62). The first event is found only in Luke. Matthew (8:18-22) has a version of the second event, but with only the first two "would-be" followers. The third is unique to Luke.
1 On the first leg of the journey to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples travel through a Samaritan village and evoke the long-standing antipathy between Samaritans and Judeans over the Temple (9:52-53), both a fulfillment of Simeon’s prophecy and a foreshadow of opposition ahead.
They are passing through Samaria on their way south to Jerusalem. Being Galilean, they do not have family to stay with in Samaria, so they need to rely on the hospitality of strangers. Passing through is taken as an insult. But the refusal of the Samaritans to offer hospitality is in turn understood as an insult by Jesus’ followers. Jesus won’t stay with them. He will not become their personal "miracle man." Jesus has another purpose. He will not simply do whatever they want him to do
The extreme response of James and John shows just how touchy relationships were between Galileans and Samaritans, and how hot tempers could get. Samaria was the territory of the northern kingdom of Israel, where Elijah and Elisha had been active. Its king, Ahaziah, had sent two sets of 50 men to arrest Elijah. Elijah had called down fire from heaven to destroy them (2 Kings 2:10,12). In the story James and John want Jesus to repeat the dose. Let’s hate those who hate us! Jesus will have none of it.
Jesus is like Elijah but also someone more than Elijah. The requirements for following Jesus are more severe than for following Elijah. Violence is being set aside as a solution.
The disciples have forgotten the recent words of Jesus: when on a mission, accept the hospitality offered you. If none is extended, shake the dust off your feet and move on (9:1-6).
2 Verse 57 to 62. This collection of 3 events and teachings are not necessarily connected to each other – or to the previous incident. What they all have in common is the theme of "Follow me" and guidance. "Make sure that following me is what guides all that you do. Don’t put me aside to go bury your father; make following me guide you as you bury your father. Don’t put me aside as you say good-bye to your family; make following me guide you as say good-bye."
A Those who follow him will not have a resting place, a position to which they can resort; we are to launch continually into new ways of being Christian. But to follow Jesus, means to be on the road with no permanent home.
B. The duty to bury one’s father was part of obeying the commandment, "Honor your father and mother." Burying a parent (v. 59) was deemed important in Jewish culture, but proclaiming the good news must have priority (v. 60). We must answer a call to tell the good news immediately (v. 61).
C. A plow required constant attention; diverting one’s attention for a moment led to disaster. Jesus demands constancy and concentration in proclaiming his message; once committed to Christ, there is no going back.
The third encounter is unique to Luke and functions as a counter piece to the introductory story based on Elijah. For in 9:61-62 Luke is reminding us of Elijah’s call of Elisha (1 Kings 19:20). Elijah allowed Elisha to bid farewell to his folks. Not so Jesus! ). Jesus demands more of his followers than Elijah did.
This event comes after rejections – the transfiguration (9:28-36). Green (The Gospel of Luke) suggests that both the people in Nazareth and in the Samaritan villages "rebuff Jesus because they cannot accept his understanding and embodiment of the divine purpose" (p. 405). It is clear that he is heading towards Jerusalem. We know (and so did Luke’s readers) what will happen to him there.
So what does all of this say to us in our time:
1. Are we willing to follow a disciplined life for the sake of our own spiritual journey and for the good of our congregations?
2. Perhaps the image of putting one’s hand to the plow and not looking back refers to looking back both at all the very good things in our lives life but also all the sins in our lives, which have been forgiven by Christ. We can neither wallow in our past sins nor boast of our past successes if we are to be fit for the kingdom of God.