Matthew 8:19-22

Context8:19 Then 1 an expert in the law 2 came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 3 8:20 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds in the sky 4 have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 5 8:21 Another 6 of the 7 disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 8:22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” 8
Luke 9:57-62
Context9:57 As 9 they were walking 10 along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 11 9:58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky 12 have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 13 9:59 Jesus 14 said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, 15 “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 9:60 But Jesus 16 said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, 17 but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 18 9:61 Yet 19 another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” 20 9:62 Jesus 21 said to him, “No one who puts his 22 hand to the plow and looks back 23 is fit for the kingdom of God.” 24
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”
2 tn Or “a scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
3 sn The statement I will follow you wherever you go is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.
4 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
5 sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).
6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
7 tc ‡ Most
8 sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20
9 tn Grk “And as.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
10 tn Grk “going,” but “walking” is an accurate description of how they traveled about.
11 tc Most
sn The statement “I will follow you wherever you go” is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.
12 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
13 sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).
14 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
15 tn Grk “said.”
16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20
18 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.
19 tn Grk “And another also said.”
20 tn Grk “to those in my house.”
21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
22 tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
23 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.
24 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.