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Do Not Delay
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey,
someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus
answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but
the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Luke 9:57–58
As Jesus made His final journey toward Jerusalem, where He would
offer Himself as the Sacrificial Lamb on the Cross, someone
approached Him with a bold declaration: “I will follow you wherever
you go.” Jesus does not reject the offer but immediately reveals
the radical demands of discipleship: “Foxes have dens and birds of
the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his
head.” By saying this, He makes it clear that following Him
requires detachment from earthly comforts and complete reliance on
divine providence.
Today’s Gospel presents two more encounters that highlight the
uncompromising nature of Christ’s call. In the first, Jesus invites
a man to follow Him. The man responds with what seems a reasonable
request: He wishes first to bury his deceased father. Yet Jesus
replies, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim
the Kingdom of God.”
The third encounter is similar. Another man expresses his desire to
follow Jesus but asks first to return home to say farewell to his
family. The request seems understandable, but Jesus replies, “No
one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind
is fit for the Kingdom of God.” In both instances, Jesus insists
that discipleship requires a decisive break from anything that
could distract from or delay one’s commitment.
The context of these conversations is essential. Jesus was on His
way to Jerusalem, fully aware that the Cross awaited Him. His
invitation to follow was not simply a call to travel with Him, but
a summons to embrace the path of sacrificial love. Each person was
challenged to respond immediately and wholeheartedly, without
allowing even good human priorities to take precedence over divine
ones. In this light, Jesus makes it clear that discipleship cannot
be delayed, compromised, or approached with divided intentions. The
Kingdom of God demands urgency, total commitment, and a willingness
to forsake all for the sake of Christ.
This passage does not suggest we reject love or duty toward family.
Rather, Jesus’ surprising responses invite us to examine how fully
we are committed to Him. Even with fidelity to His teachings, daily
prayer, and the sacramental life, distractions will still threaten
our wholehearted devotion. Sometimes even good things, if not
rightly ordered, become obstacles to grace.
Since the Gospel does not give us the full background of these
three potential disciples, we must interpret Jesus’ words
carefully. For example, some have suggested that the man who wished
to bury his father was not referring to someone recently deceased,
but to a future time when his father would die. If so, the delay
itself reveals the problem. True discipleship requires immediate
trust and surrender. Importantly, this call to follow Jesus never
results in neglecting charity or duty, because God’s providence
always provides for those who place Him first, without hesitation
or compromise.
Reflect today on the immediacy and depth of your own response to
Christ’s call. Have you placed conditions on your discipleship? Are
there attachments—whether to comfort, relationships, duties, or
even noble aspirations—that subtly delay your surrender to God’s
will? Jesus does not ask us to abandon genuine love or
responsibility, but nothing must come before Him. He must be the
first and guiding principle of every decision. When we follow Him
without delay, everything else in life will find its proper order.
Pray for the grace to say “Yes” to Jesus today with clarity,
courage, and complete trust in His providential care.
My radical Lord, You set Your face toward Jerusalem, unwavering
in Your mission to offer Your life for the salvation of sinners.
Nothing deterred You—not comfort, fear, or distraction. Enliven
within me that same urgency and resolve, that my “Yes” to You may
be total and unconditional. May I hold nothing back, make no
excuses, and follow You all the way to the Cross. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE,
via Wikimedia Commons
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