Saying goodbye is hardâto family and friends, to a favorite and familiar place, to an occupation or livelihood.
In Luke 9:57-62 our Lord describes the cost of being His disciple. A would-be follower says to Jesus, âI will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.â Jesus responds, âNo one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of Godâ (vv. 61-62). Is He asking His followers to say goodbye to everything and every relationship considered precious?
In the Chinese language there is no direct equivalent of the English word goodbye. The two Chinese characters used to translate this word really mean âsee you again.â Becoming a disciple of Christ may sometimes mean others will reject us, but it does not mean we say goodbye to people in the sense that we are to forget all our past relationships. Saying goodbye means that God wants us to follow Him on His termsâwholeheartedly. Then we will see people again from the right perspective.
God wants the best for us, but we must allow Him to take priority over everything else.
Lukeâs account of Christâs earthly life and ministry has several key features that distinguish it from the other three gospel records (Matthew, Mark, John). First, it contains the longest and most detailed narrative of Jesusâs birthâincluding the announcement of Maryâs pregnancy (Luke 1â2). Second, Lukeâs account has a significant focus on Jesusâs interactions with women (see Luke 8:1â3). Third, Luke places more emphasis on Jesusâs parables than the other gospelsâit contains eighteen unique parables, including the Good Samaritan (10:25â37) and the Prodigal Son (15:11â32). If, as many scholars believe, Lukeâs record was primarily written to a Greek audience, their focus on learning would certainly account for that emphasis. Finally, since Luke was a physician, we find interesting medical details that the other gospels donât include (see 9:29; 10:34; 22:44).