Luke 9:57-62 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And it came to pass as they went in the way This and the following seem to be the same occurrences with those mentioned by Matthew, which took place as Christ was in the neighbourhood of Capernaum, going from that town to the shore, where he proposed to embark, in order to cross the lake, and not on his way to Jerusalem through the country of the Samaritans. See notes on Matthew 8:19-22. And Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, &c. Jesus, knowing that the man proposed to himself riches and honours in the expected kingdom of the Messiah, thought fit to make him sensible of his mistake. As if he had said, Understand the terms: consider on what conditions thou art to follow me. He said to another, Follow me About the same time, our Lord meeting with one who had often attended him, and thereby showed an inclination to become his disciple, he ordered him to disengage himself altogether from worldly affairs and follow him; but he said, Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father The man excused himself on pretence that he was bound in duty to wait on an aged father, till he should pay him the last office in his burial. Jesus said, Let the dead bury their dead Let those who are dead in sin, or who are so immersed in worldly affairs that they are dead to God and divine things, employ themselves in committing to the dust their deceased friends and relatives. But go thou and preach the kingdom of God It is justly observed by Dr. Doddridge, that, “as our Lord called him now to follow him, we must conclude that this commission which he gives him to preach was not directly to be put in execution. The circumstance was plainly extraordinary, and might turn on reasons unknown to us. Christ might, for instance, foresee some particular obstruction that would have arisen from the interview with his friends at his father's funeral, which would have prevented his devoting himself to the ministry; to which he might refer in saying, Let the dead bury their dead.” And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee Unto a third, who of his own accord offered to follow him, if he would allow him to go home and take leave of his family, Jesus gave such an answer as teaches us that no domestic affair should hinder the care of our salvation; that the calls of religion are so very pressing, that they admit of no delay or excuse whatsoever; and that all who set themselves to seek the welfare of their souls should pursue the work assiduously, without looking carelessly around them, as if they neglected what they were doing. He said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, &c., is fit for the kingdom of God Either to receive and become a subject of it, or to preach it. “Hesiod has given it as the character of a good ploughman, that, ‘he keeps his mind intent on his work,' that he may make ‘a straight furrow,' and does not allow himself ‘to gaze about on his companions.' Our Lord, on the like obvious principles, may use the phrase of one that looks behind him while his hand is on the plough, as a kind of proverbial expression for a careless, irresolute person, who must be peculiarly unfit for the Christian ministry. How happy had it been for Christ's church had this lively admonition been regarded, without which it is impossible, ορθοτομειν τον λογον της αληθειας, to divide, or rather direct the word of truth aright,” 2 Timothy 2:15.