The Cost of Following Jesus: No Looking Back

Matthew sets these encounters right after Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, casts out spirits, and heals all who were sick. Matthew ties those miracles to Isaiah’s word that Christ “took our infirmities and bore our sickness.” Jesus then gives the command to go to the other side, and three different responses show what happens when the call to follow Him gets real.

The self-confident scribe says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” The scribe means it in the moment, but his idea of following Jesus seems tied to learning from a great teacher and maybe living a good life around Him. Jesus answers with foxes, birds, holes, and nests, then says the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Christ does not offer fame, financial favor, or a luxurious lifestyle. Christ asks whether He is enough when suffering comes, when the accolades are gone, and when there is nothing left to hang onto.

The disciple who says, “Let me first go and bury my father,” reveals a different problem. Jesus calls him directly, but the disciple remains attached to an obligation that he places ahead of Christ’s call. Jesus does not despise family or deny proper responsibility, but Christ declares that the spiritual call is greater than every other obligation in life. The words “let me first” expose the heart’s constant attempt to put something ahead of obedience.

Luke’s third man says he will follow, but first he wants to go back and bid farewell at home. Jesus uses the image of the plow: no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. The plowman cannot cut a straight line while looking over his shoulder. Distraction keeps the heart from pressing forward, and excuses can turn into years of delay.

Matthew then brings the disciples into the boat, where a great tempest rises and Jesus sleeps. Jesus rebukes the wind and sea, and a great calm comes. The storm is not sunshine and rainbows, but it reveals Christ as the Master of the universe. Christ calls people to get in the boat, surrender fully, and see Him for who He truly is.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Enthusiasm does not equal readiness [43:01] The self-confident scribe had passion, but passion alone could not prepare him for hardship. Discipleship is tested when following Christ costs comfort, approval, money, or security. Christ does not need loud promises that fade by Monday. Christ calls for a faith that stays put when the rubber meets the road. [43:01]
• 2. Christ must be first, not later [52:01] The phrase “let me first” can sound reasonable while still holding Christ at a distance. The call of God cannot remain one obligation among many competing obligations. Christ does not ask for a small place in life’s schedule. Christ calls for full attachment, where every other love finds its proper place under Him. [52:01]
• 3. A plowman cannot keep looking back [55:29] The image of the plow shows that spiritual distraction does not stay harmless. A heart turned backward keeps finding reasons to delay obedience and return to old attachments. Christ calls His people to press forward with eyes fixed on the kingdom. A truly heavenly minded life produces humility, faithfulness, and Spirit-filled living. [55:29]
• 4. The storm reveals Christ’s authority [01:01:12] The waves frightened the disciples, but the waves still obeyed Christ’s rebuke. The storm did not mean that Jesus had lost control, even while He slept in the boat. Christ does not promise an easy road, but He has overcome the world. Faith learns to see the Master of the universe in the middle of the tempest.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [28:18] - Matthew 8 and the Gospel Timeline
• [30:12] - Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law
• [31:50] - Three Responses to Following Christ
• [32:30] - The Self-Confident Scribe
• [39:06] - Foxes, Birds, and No Place to Rest
• [43:01] - Enthusiasm Versus Real Commitment
• [47:06] - The Detached Disciple
• [49:13] - Let the Dead Bury Their Dead
• [54:31] - The Spiritual Call Comes First
• [55:12] - The Danger of Looking Back
• [59:33] - Keep Eyes on Christ
• [60:28] - Jesus Calms the Storm
• [62:03] - Get in the Boat and Follow Christ

Bible Reading

Matthew 8:18-27

Verse 18: Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. [28:20]

Verse 19: Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” [32:30]

Verse 20: And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” [39:04]

Verses 21-22: Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” [47:18]

Verses 23-24: Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. [01:00:28]

Verses 25-27: Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” [01:02:03]

Luke 9:57-62

Verse 57: Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” [32:54]

Verse 58: And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” [39:04]

Verses 59-60: Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” [48:39]

Verses 61-62: And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [55:01]

Isaiah 53:4

Verse 4: Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. [31:17]

Observation questions

1. What differences can be seen between the first man who comes confidently to Jesus, the disciple who asks to bury his father first, and the man who wants to return home before following?
2. What does Jesus point out about His own life when He speaks of foxes having holes and birds having nests? [39:04]
3. In Luke 9:59-60, what command does Jesus give the disciple instead of allowing him to delay? [50:43]
4. What had the disciples already seen Jesus do before they faced the storm, and how did they respond when the waves covered the boat? [01:01:05]

Interpretation questions

1. Why might Jesus answer the scribe’s eager promise by speaking about homelessness and suffering rather than simply welcoming him immediately? [43:01]
2. Jesus does not deny that family responsibilities matter, yet He says that the call to follow Him comes first. What does this reveal about the place Christ must hold among every other good obligation?
3. The words “let me first” appear in the responses of those who hesitate to follow. What kinds of desires or commitments can sound reasonable but still become ways of delaying obedience to Christ? [52:01]
4. Why is looking back a dangerous image for a person who has put his hand to the plow? How can small distractions become a pattern of continually putting off wholehearted obedience? [56:22]

Application questions

1. Is there an area where following Christ has felt easier in theory than in real life—when it costs comfort, approval, money, time, or security? What has made that area difficult? [43:06]
2. What might “let me first” sound like in personal life right now? Is there a goal, relationship, habit, fear, or plan that is being placed ahead of clear obedience to Christ? [52:13]
3. Are there good responsibilities—family, work, finances, or personal plans—that have begun to take a place only Christ should have? What would it look like to put those things back under His leadership? [54:31]
4. What distractions most often pull attention away from prayer, Scripture, fellowship, or serving the Lord? What practical change could help keep the eyes fixed on Christ this week? [59:33]
5. When hardship or uncertainty comes, is the first response usually fear, self-reliance, or turning to Christ? What would it look like to bring the present “storm” honestly to Him?
6. Jesus was asleep in the boat, but He had not lost control of the storm. What situation in life needs to be seen again in light of His authority over the wind and sea? [01:03:07]