In 9:51-55 we see that an entire Samaritan village reject Jesus because his goal was Jerusalem and not Samaria. The troubled history between Jews and Samaritans underwrites this rejection, and since Jesus’ agenda did not match their own, they reject him. In 9:56-62 as Jesus is going on the road to Jerusalem, we learn of three people who are eager to follow him, yet Jesus presents clear obstacles in their way. These two sections are sides of the same coin. Following Jesus comes at a cost. For some it will be the cost of leaving their old life behind and for others it will be to suffer the same kind of rejection that Jesus experienced. Either way, to follow Jesus is to follow him to the cross.

Matthew is originally from Stonehaven, Scotland. He is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen and was awarded a doctorate by The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Matthew is married to Tracy and has two daughters. He is a church planter and the pastor of Redeemer Fellowship Church, in Bardstown, KY. Matthew is the co-founder and Executive Director of 20schemes, a Church Planting Ministry in Scotland. He also serves as the Operations Manager of Acts 29 Church in Hard Places, an initiative to train, assess and resource church planting in the world’s poorest communities.