I Will Follow You, Lord.
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Luke 9:51-62New International Version |
| 9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
9:52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 9:53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 9:54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 9:55 But he turned and rebuked them. 9:56 Then they went on to another village. 9:57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 9:58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 9:59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 9:60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 9:61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 9:62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” |
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FOR SOME PEOPLE commitment and freedom seem quite incompatible. Yet today’s readings call for total commitment lived in total freedom. One cannot, in fact, have one without the other. Today’s Mass speaks of what it means to be fully a disciple of Jesus. This is much, much more than just being what is often understood as a “good Catholic”.
One needs to be aware of what is expected of a disciple. One must be ready to let go of people and things, of all external securities and props. Am I ready for this? Or do I set up my securities first and then, carrying them with me, decide to follow him?
And this brings me to deep reflections:
To be a follower of Jesus, the priority is always the kingdom of God. It supercedes a comfortable life and family relationships without hesitation or regret.
First things first
One of the men makes what seems a reasonable request: “Let me go and bury my father first.” The reply of Jesus sounds harsh: “Let the dead bury their own dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” We should not conclude from this request that the man’s father was already dead. He may have been saying that he would follow Jesus only after he had fulfilled his duties to his father.
Where are my real priorities?
Jesus, of course, is not saying that we should not love and respect members of our family. But he is asking where our priorities in life really are. He is saying that, if we wish to be his disciples, we cannot make our own arrangements first and then, only when we are ready, go and follow him. The demands of the Kingdom, the world of truth, love, justice, freedom and peace, which we are called to build, comes first of all.
How many of us first plan our careers carefully and only then ask how we can be good Christians, when it obviously should be the other way round?
To be a disciple of Jesus, I cannot hesitate. The call is NOW, today and the response must also be Now, today.
I try to imagine the journey of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem as the journey of my life.
Do I have a destination? What is it?
What is my priority in life?
How do I follow the way?