Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:61-62

When I read the verses above, I am reminded of the initial encounter between the prophet Elijah and his future protege Elisha who was “plowing with twelve yoke of oxen.” –

And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

1 Kings 19:20-21

Elisha essentially destroyed his livlihood by burning the oxen and then as Scripture tells us, followed hard after Elijah until he received the prophets mantle. So, there is nothing wrong with saying good-bye, but it seems the Jesus perceived the man might have had second thoughts in the tone of his voice as someone “who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back.”

According to Jesus, there can be no half-hearted attempt to follow him. He wants every part of our lives surrendered to Him.