Luke 9:46–62

⁴⁶An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.^{z 47}Jesus, knowing their thoughts,^a took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.^b For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”^c

⁴⁹“Master,”^d said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

⁵⁰“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”^e

Samaritan Opposition

⁵¹As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,^f Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.^{g 52}And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan^h village to get things ready for him; ⁵³but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When the disciples James and Johnⁱ saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them^b?”^{j 55}But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶Then he and his disciples went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

9:57–60pp—Mt 8:19–22

⁵⁷As they were walking along the road,^k a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^l has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹He said to another man, “Follow me.”^m

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”ⁿ

⁶¹Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”^o

⁶²Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”