“But as for you,” Jesus says to a would-be disciple in this passage.

            But as for you .... But as for me ....

            Yes, this passage from so long ago is about you, and it is about me. These passages chronicling Jesus’ final march to Jerusalem mirror for us our own march of faith, which is contained in the responses of those first apostles and would-be disciples. These follow confidently after Jesus, or assert their willingness to do so, with breathtaking certainty that they will follow him to the end, having no idea what they are getting themselves into. Implied in these two passages, as is the case elsewhere in the gospel, is the understanding that there are more, many more, following behind Jesus as he sets his face to go to Jerusalem — more than those 12 who also have no idea what they’ve signed on for, and who will soon enough forsake him and flee. And they are “us”: all of them in one way or another reflections of us.

Clueless apostles

            The tone for this passage, and for the rest of Luke’s gospel, is set in verse 51. The days are drawing near fo

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