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In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus encounters three would-be disciples.  Jesus successfully called individuals to follow Him.  That is how He selected the twelve apostles.  However, there were others who wanted to follow Jesus, but were not willing to pay the costs of discipleship.  Jesus was not shy about preparing people for discipleship. While everyone is invited by the Lord to follow Him, not everyone will answer the call.  Discipleship is most rewarding, but, it is also very demanding.  If you are looking for a convenient religion, Christianity is not the one for you.  Yet, it is the only one where you will find salvation (Acts 4:12).  Jesus clearly taught that there were two ways that people travel.  The broad way that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life (Matt. 7:13-14).  Obviously, we choose which pathway we follow.  But, there is only one that leads to everlasting life.
Three Would-Be Disciples
In Luke 9:57-58, we are introduced to a would-be disciple that states, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.”  This person seems willing and eager to follow Jesus.  Yet, he/she seems to have a shallow understanding of the cost.  Jesus’ reply was that the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.  Jesus seems to be saying, “don’t underestimate the degree of self-sacrifice involved in discipleship.  When following Jesus we must understand the nature of the pursuit.  We do not serve Him for material gain.  Nor do we serve Him for immediate gratification.  We do not follow Him for what we can get out of it as much as for what we can contribute to the kingdom.  Disciples of Jesus are involved in selfless service for a heavenly reward!
The second would-be disciple says, “Suffer me first to go and bury my father.”  Jewish people took burying their dead very seriously.  It was important and was to be done expeditiously.  Burial was a way of showing respect to the deceased and honoring them.  It was a family duty.  Jesus said, “Let the dead bury the dead.”  Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. “But go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”  Preaching the kingdom of God was more important.  Disciples of Jesus must get their priorities right.  Spiritual service in the kingdom of God must not be supplanted by activities that are less important.  In Matt. 6:33, Jesus affirmed that we must seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
The third would-be disciple said, “I will follow thee, but let me go first and bid them farewell which are at my home.”  Most will admit that family ties are important.  Jesus said to this person, “No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”  The would-be disciple made the mistake of saying that he/she would follow Jesus, but….” “I will, but” introduces a qualification.  If one qualification is permitted, then, why not a dozen, a hundred, or even a thousand?  This view diminishes the level of commitment involved in discipleship and weakens the kingdom.  Think about this, what if everyone in the kingdom of God had the same level of commitment that I have, what would the kingdom of God look like?  A diminished commitment will affect fruitfulness and productivity.  It diminishes perseverance and endurance.  When the Christian life gets difficult, it is easier to abandon it altogether.  Jesus warned about this very thing in the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:20-21).  The stoney ground represented a human heart where the seed does not develop strong roots and when persecution arises, the person falls away.  Paul gives an example of such diminished commitment in Demas who he states had “forsaken me having loved this present world” (II Tim. 4:10).  Disciples of Jesus must not be quitters!
What Can We Conclude About Discipleship?
First, look for spiritual not material gain.  Second, the kingdom of God must come first.  Third, persevere unto the end.  Be strong in your commitment to the Lord.  Never quit.  The commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ must be absolute and never qualified.  There are no excuses for failing to be what God wants us to be.  If we do fail, we must correct this sin in our life and renew our commitment to Christ.  “Follow me” is personal.  The relationship that is created through redemption is secured on His terms not ours.  We must be willing to follow Him wherever He leads without reservations.  The kingdom of God and His righteousness must come first above all else.  We must be finishers not quitters.  Disciples obey Jesus and follow His example in all things.
Are you a would-be disciple of Jesus?  If so, count the cost of following Him.  Also, count the cost of not following Him (John 8:24).  Then, decide.  Once, you commit to following Him, don’t look back!

A violation of God’s Law (the very essence of sin -I John 3:4) is not an exercise in true freedom, but injustice (a violation of the righteous standard given by God in His holy word).  And, where there is sin, there is bondage, not freedom.
Let us correlate three terms:  truth, freedom, and justice (John 8:30-36).  If there is no truth, there can be no freedom.  If there is no truth, there can be no justice.  Are we in bondage or free?  Are we the children of God or the children of the devil?  Can we know the truth, obtain true freedom and pursue justice?
Truth
The word truth is an English translation of the Greek word alētheia, which means, true to fact, conforming to reality.  Truth is that which conforms to reality as God defines that reality (John 14:6, Jesus is the truth; John 17:17, the Word of God is truth).  Truth comes from God because God is holy and cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18).  God is all-knowing and so He knows what is true as opposed to what is false.  God has revealed His will to humanity by means of the divine superintendence of the Holy Spirit who guided holy men of God to write the words of truth (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21).  God has also revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the truth (John 14:6).  The truth is powerful (Heb. 4:12).  It enlightens and so dispels darkness (the world of sin and wickedness, lies and false ideas) (John 1:5, 9). It guides and so is a lamp unto our feet (Psa. 119:105). It anchors and so creates a foundation that grounds us in God’s thoughts and ways (Isa. 55:8-11).  It transforms and so makes children of God out of children of the devil (I Pet. 1:20-25; Gal. 3:26-29).  It judges/ discerns and so discriminates between good and evil, right and wrong (Heb. 4:12).  The truth is knowable (John 8:32). To know means that we can perceive with the mind and so understand with the heart what God means by what God says in His Word (Eph. 5:16-17).
Freedom
True freedom is liberation from the servitude of sin (John 8:32, Rom. 6:6-7).  The first correlation:  truth and freedom.  Where there is no truth, there can be no freedom.  Freedom is not the ability to do anything you want to do anytime you want to do it, that is lasciviousness (Gal. 5:19).  Lasciviousness is shameless conduct where by we violate God’s Will and act without restraint.  God restricts our attitudes and behavior through His Word which demands self-denial and self-restraint.  Self-indulgence is not freedom.  True freedom involves the forgiveness of our sins and transformation of life (conversion and consecration) whereby we honor God’s truth by incorporating it into our lives.  True freedom means that we are set at liberty from the bondage of sin.  “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” (Gal. 5:1).  Paul’s use of the noun and verb together in one sentence emphasizes the completeness of the act of liberation through the power of God.  Once liberated from sin, we do not want to return to bondage.  The liberation from the bondage of sin is directed by truth and the power of truth affects it (Rom. 1:16).  The gospel is God’s power unto salvation!
Justice
The second correlation is truth and justice.  Where there is no truth, there can be no justice.  Justice is a communicable perfection of God, manifesting His holiness.  The word justice is closely associated with righteousness.  Used of man, justice refers to right rule, or right conduct, or to each getting his/her just do whether good or bad.  God’s absolute justice is the rectitude by which He upholds Himself against violations of His holiness.  God’s moral excellence made necessary either the punishment of sinners or the expiation (forgiveness) of their sins whereby the punishment would be removed and they would be rewarded.  Expiation or forgiveness is accomplished by Jesus Christ through His death on the cross.  Paul declares in Rom. 5:8-9, that we are saved from wrath through Him. And, we are justified by the blood of Christ.   If there is no truth, there can be no justice.  Truth is the objective standard for all righteous judgments.  Without truth, spiritual discernment and righteous judgments could not be made.
Anytime God’s Word is violated three things result:  bondage or servitude to sin which identifies us with Satan rather than God; condemnation by God (the justice of God); and prohibition of sonship with God (because we are the children of the devil).  Overcoming sin involves: utilizing the power of truth to overcome the lies and ignorance caused by Satan; the power of the blood of Christ to atone for sin; and our faith and love for God which causes us to honor Him by keeping His commandments.  When truth is internalized, faith is active in the human heart and commits us to God’s Word.  When love for the truth is authentic, then, the human heart is bound to God in devotion to His Will and purposes.  Truth will affect an all-encompassing transformation within us that binds us to God in true freedom and respect for His justice.