Lukas 9:57

Challenging Professed Followers

9:57 As ¹  they were walking ²  along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ³ 

Lukas 19:12

19:12 Therefore he said, “A nobleman ⁴  went to a distant country to receive ⁵  for himself a kingdom and then return. ⁶ 

[9:57]  ¹ tn Grk “And as.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:57]  ² tn Grk “going,” but “walking” is an accurate description of how they traveled about.

[9:57]  ³ tc Most mss (A C W Θ Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï) add κύριε (kurie, “Lord”) here, but scribes were prone to add to the text, especially appellations for the Lord. The shorter reading also enjoys significant ms support (Ì^45,75 א B D L Ξ Ë¹ lat co).

[9:57]  sn The statement “I will follow you wherever you go” is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.

[19:12]  ⁴ tn Grk “a man of noble birth” or “a man of noble status” (L&N 87.27).

[19:12]  ⁵ sn Note that the receiving of the kingdom takes place in the far country. This suggests that those in the far country recognize and acknowledge the king when his own citizens did not want him as king (v. 14; cf. John 1:11-12).

[19:12]  ⁶ sn The background to this story about the nobleman who went…to receive for himself a kingdom had some parallels in the area’s recent history: Archelaus was appointed ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea in 4 b.c., but the people did not like him. Herod the Great also made a similar journey to Rome where he was crowned King of Judea in 40 b.c., although he was not able to claim his kingdom until 37 b.c.