Matthew 8:19
And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This scribe’s enthusiastic offer to follow Jesus "wherever you go" wasn't a simple pledge of loyalty; it was likely born from a misunderstanding of Jesus' mission. He probably imagined a comfortable, honored role alongside a triumphant Messiah, completely unprepared for the hardship and homelessness Jesus actually faced.
As Jesus and his disciples travel, a scribe approaches, eager to join Jesus and follow him wherever he goes. Jesus, however, immediately probes the scribe's motives, pointing out that he, the Son of Man, has no earthly home, a stark contrast to the scribe's likely comfortable life. This interaction immediately precedes Jesus' encounter with another individual who wants to follow but first needs to bury his father, highlighting different understandings of commitment and priority in discipleship.
This scribe enthusiastically volunteers to follow Jesus. But what does that truly mean? It seems he didn't quite grasp the radical nature of Jesus' mission.
This scribe's offer, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go,' sounds wonderful on the surface. He's excited and ready to commit. However, the scholars point out a crucial misunderstanding.
Miscalculating the Journey
Jesus doesn't just accept this offer at face value. Instead, He immediately confronts the scribe's potential misconceptions with a profound truth about His own life.
Jesus' response to the scribe is not to dissuade him out of spite, but to ensure anyone considering following Him understands the full picture. He paints a vivid, and perhaps unsettling, image of His own existence.
The Son of Man's Homelessness
Understand the original words
grammateus · Greek Noun
An expert in the Mosaic Law, responsible for teaching, interpreting, and applying the Scriptures to the daily lives of the people of Israel.
didaskale · Greek Noun
A title for a master, instructor, or someone recognized as an authority in interpreting religious truth. Used for Jesus, it acknowledges his role as the revealer of God's will.
This interaction highlights that while Jesus' ministry attracted genuine followers, He was also discerning about the motivations and readiness of those who offered to join Him, especially those from established religious backgrounds like scribes.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Begins Public Ministry
Jesus starts teaching and healing across Galilee, attracting crowds and a growing number of disciples.
Early 1st century AD
Sermon on the Mount
Jesus delivers a foundational teaching on discipleship, ethics, and the nature of God's kingdom.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus Encounters a Scribe
A Jewish scribe, likely impressed by Jesus' teaching and miracles, approaches Him with a zealous but unexamined offer to follow.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Calls Another Disciple
Jesus calls another man to follow Him, who expresses a desire to first bury his father, highlighting different levels of commitment.
Early 1st century AD
This passage presents a similar scenario where an individual spontaneously offers to follow Jesus, highlighting the earnestness and potential superficiality of such commitments.
John 1:11This verse describes Jesus coming to his own people who did not receive him, offering a parallel to the lack of a permanent home that Jesus informs the scribe about.
Matthew 16:24Jesus directly teaches the necessity of self-denial and taking up one's cross to follow Him, which is the deeper reality the scribe did not consider.
1 Kings 19:20Here, Elisha is called by Elijah and immediately responds, but he first asks to say farewell to his family, showing a different, yet still constrained, response to a divine call.
clarkeMatthew 8:19: "And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest."
A certain scribe - Though ἑις γραμματευς, One scribe, may be considered as a Hebraism, yet it is probable that the literal construction of it was intended, to show that few of this class came to the Lord Jesus for instruction or salvation. Master - Rather, teacher, διδασκαλε from διδασκω, I teach, which itself seems to be derived from δεικω, I show, and means the person who shows…
calvinMatthew 8:19-22: "And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest."
- And a scribe approaching said to him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou shalt go. 20. And Jesus saith to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests: but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 21. And another of his disciples said to him, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father. 22. And Jesus said to him, Follow me, and allow the dead to…
This scribe’s enthusiastic offer to follow Jesus "wherever you go" wasn't a simple pledge of loyalty; it was likely born from a misunderstanding of Jesus' mission. He probably imagined a comfortable, honored role alongside a triumphant Messiah, completely unprepared for the hardship and homelessness Jesus actually faced.
As Jesus and his disciples travel, a scribe approaches, eager to join Jesus and follow him wherever he goes. Jesus, however, immediately probes the scribe's motives, pointing out that he, the Son of Man, has no earthly home, a stark contrast to the scribe's likely comfortable life. This interaction immediately precedes Jesus' encounter with another individual who wants to follow but first needs to bury his father, highlighting different understandings of commitment and priority in discipleship.
As Jesus and his disciples travel, a scribe approaches, eager to join Jesus and follow him wherever he goes. Jesus, however, immediately probes the scribe's motives, pointing out that he, the Son of Man, has no earthly home, a stark contrast to the scribe's likely comfortable life. This interaction immediately precedes Jesus' encounter with another individual who wants to follow but first needs to bury his father, highlighting different understandings of commitment and priority in discipleship.
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Jesus Responds to a Third Follower
A third individual offers to follow but wants to say goodbye to his family, prompting Jesus' strong warning against looking back.
"And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”" — This scribe’s enthusiastic offer to follow Jesus "wherever you go" wasn't a simple pledge of loyalty; it was likely born from a misunderstanding of Jesus' mission. He probably imagined a comfortable,…
