The Cost of Following

Based on Luke 9:57-62

Opening Scripture

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:57-58)

Where We Are in the Story

We’re in Epiphany, the season when Christ is revealed to the world. The light has come. The King has arrived. The nations are beginning to see. But Epiphany doesn’t just reveal who Jesus is, it reveals what following him actually costs. The light doesn’t just illuminate Christ; it exposes us, showing us whether our enthusiasm is real or just religious sentimentality.

When Discipleship Gets Specific

Three men approach Jesus on the road. Each one makes a claim or receives a call about following him. And Jesus, in his characteristic honesty, refuses to let any of them romanticize what they’re signing up for.

The first man comes with confident enthusiasm: “I will follow you wherever you go.” It’s the kind of declaration we love to hear in church, the kind of moment that would get applause at a missions conference. But Jesus doesn’t accept it at face value. He doesn’t need enthusiastic volunteers who haven’t counted the cost. He needs disciples who know what they’re getting into.

“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

In other words: Are you sure? Because following me means leaving comfort behind. It means no guaranteed security. It means going where I go, not where you want to go. Are you ready for that?

The second man receives a direct invitation from Jesus: “Follow me.” But he hesitates. “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus’ response is jarring: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

This isn’t Jesus being callous about family obligations. It’s Jesus refusing to let anything, even legitimate, understandable responsibilities, become an excuse for delayed obedience. The Kingdom doesn’t wait. The mission is urgent. When Jesus calls, you go.

The third man also wants to follow, but he wants to say goodbye to his family first. Seems reasonable, right? But Jesus says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Three men. Three different responses. But one common thread: Jesus won’t accept half-hearted discipleship.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Following Jesus

Here’s what strikes me about this passage: Jesus makes following him harder, not easier.
We live in a culture that’s obsessed with lowering the bar, removing friction, making everything accessible and convenient. Churches are tempted to do the same, to soften the call, minimize the cost, make Jesus more palatable to modern sensibilities.

But Jesus does the opposite. He raises the bar. He clarifies the cost. He makes sure people know what they’re getting into before they commit.

Why? Because he doesn’t want fans. He wants disciples.

Fans show up when it’s exciting, when the crowd is large, when the miracles are happening. Disciples show up when it’s hard, when the crowd is gone, when the cross is waiting.

Fans follow from a distance. Disciples follow wherever he leads, even when the path is unclear and the cost is high.

Where This Lands in Our Lives

Let’s bring this into your world. Where are you treating Jesus like a life coach instead of a Lord? Where are you picking and choosing which parts of his teaching to obey based on what’s convenient or comfortable?

Maybe it’s your money. You’re happy to follow Jesus in your devotional life, but when it comes to generosity, stewardship, simplicity, suddenly you’ve got reasons why that doesn’t apply to you right now.

Maybe it’s your career. You’ll serve God on Sundays, but Monday through Friday, you operate by the world’s rules. You’ve got to be practical, right? You’ve got bills to pay. You can’t afford to rock the boat at work by actually living like a Christian.

Maybe it’s your relationships. You’re all in for Jesus, until he asks you to forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it, or to have that hard conversation you’ve been avoiding, or to love your enemy instead of nursing your resentment.

Maybe it’s your ambitions. You want to follow Jesus, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your plans, your timeline, your definition of success.

Here’s the question Jesus keeps pressing: Will you follow me wherever I go, or only where it’s comfortable?

The Gift Hidden in the Cost

But here’s what we miss if we only focus on the cost: Jesus himself is the reward.

He’s not asking you to give up everything and get nothing in return. He’s asking you to give up everything that’s passing away for the One who will never leave you or forsake you.

Foxes have holes. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man, the One who spoke galaxies into existence, the One who holds all things together, the One who defeated death and is making all things new, he has no place to lay his head because he’s on a mission to reclaim his creation.And he’s inviting you to join him.

That’s the offer. Not comfort. Not security by the world’s standards. But something infinitely better: purpose, meaning, and the privilege of being part of the greatest Story ever told.
Yes, following Jesus costs something. But not following him costs everything.

Reflection Questions

1. If Jesus looked you in the eye today and said, “Follow me,” what would be your first excuse or hesitation?
2. Where in your life are you treating Jesus like a consultant (someone you ask for advice when convenient) instead of a King (someone you obey regardless of cost)?
   
3. What “legitimate obligation” have you been using to delay obedience to something you know God is calling you to do?

Prayer
(Based on Psalm 27:8 and Luke 9:23)

Lord Jesus, you have said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Search my heart. Show me where I’ve been following from a distance, where I’ve been holding back, where I’ve been making excuses. Give me the courage to follow you wherever you lead, not just when it’s convenient, but when it’s costly. Forgive my half-hearted discipleship. Renew my commitment to you. You are worth more than comfort, security, or any earthly treasure. Help me believe that and live like it. In your name, Amen.

Action Step

Identify one area where you’ve been delaying obedience to God because of fear, comfort, or “legitimate obligations.” Today, take one concrete step of obedience in that area, not tomorrow, not when circumstances improve, but today. Write it down. Do it. Then confess to a trusted brother or sister what you’ve done and ask them to hold you accountable to keep following through.

Benediction
(Based on Hebrews 13:20-21)
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May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.