Luke 9:61-62

9:61 Yet ¹  another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” ²  9:62 Jesus ³  said to him, “No one who puts his ⁴  hand to the plow and looks back ⁵  is fit for the kingdom of God.” ⁶ 

[9:61]  ¹ tn Grk “And another also said.”

[9:61]  ² tn Grk “to those in my house.”

[9:62]  ³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[9:62]  ⁴ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[9:62]  ⁵ sn Jesus warns that excessive concern for family ties (looks back) will make the kingdom a lesser priority, which is not appropriate for discipleship. The image is graphic, for who can plow straight ahead toward a goal while looking back? Discipleship cannot be double-minded.

[9:62]  ⁶ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.