Sermon L.
[C. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, Luke ix. 57, etc., where the case of the three persons is treated
of, of whom one said, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest,” and was disallowed: another
did not dare to offer himself, and was aroused; the third wished to delay, and was blamed.
1. Give ye ear to that which the Lord hath given me to speak on the lesson of the Gospel.
For we have read, that the Lord Jesus acted differently, when one man offered himself to
follow Him, and was disallowed; another did not dare this, and was aroused; a third put off,
and was blamed. For the words, “Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest,”3246
what is so prompt, what so active, what so ready, and what so fitly disposed to so great a
good, as this “following the Lord whithersoever He should go”? Thou wonderest at this,
saying, “How is this, that one so ready found no favour with the Good Master and Lord Jesus
Christ, though He was inviting disciples to give them the kingdom of Heaven?” But inasmuch
as He was such a Master as could see beforehand things to come, we understand, Brethren,
that this man, if he had followed Christ, would have been sure to “seek his own things, not
the things which are Jesus Christ’s.”3247 For He hath said Himself, “Not every one that saith
unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”3248 And of such was this
man, nor did he know himself so well as the Physician knew him. For if he saw himself to
be a dissembler now, if he had known himself at this time to be full of duplicity and guile,
then he did not know with Whom he was speaking. For He it is of whom the Evangelist
says, “He had no need that any one should testify to Him of man, for He Himself knew what
was in man.”3249 What then did He answer? “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His Head.”3250 But where hath He not? In
thy faith. For in thy heart foxes have holes, thou art full of guile; in thy heart birds of the air
have nests; thou art lifted up. Full of guile and self-elation as thou art, thou shalt not follow
Me. How can a guileful man follow Simplicity?
2. And then forthwith to another who was silent, and said nothing, and promised
nothing, He saith, “Follow Me!” As much evil as He saw in the other, so much good saw He
in this man. “Follow Me,”3251 Thou sayest to one who hath no wish for it. Lo, here is a man
quite ready, “I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest;” and yet Thou sayest to another
who hath no such wish, “Follow thou Me.” “The first,” saith He, “I decline, because I see in
3246 Luke ix. 57.
3247 Phil. ii. 21.
3248 Matt. vii. 21.
3249 John ii. 25.
3250 Luke ix. 58.
3251 Luke ix. 59.
On the words of the Gospel, Luke ix. 57, etc., where the case of the three persons is treated of, of whom one said, ‘I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest,’ and was disallowed: another did not dare to offer himself, and was aroused; the third wished to delay, and was blamed.
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On the words of the Gospel, Luke ix. 57, etc., where the case of the three…