Luke 9:51 - 62
When I lived in Buffalo, I had a
friend who was a Presbyterian minister. Now there really aren't a
lot of Presbyterians outside of the big cities; here in New England
they are quite rare, because way back the Congregationalists and
Presbyterians decided that they were so similar that the
Congregationalists would work in the Northeast and the Presbyterians
everywhere else. However, given the fact that both the Baptists and
Methodists greatly outnumber the Presbyterians, this strategy was not
successful. And the reason, according to my friend, was that the
Methodists and Baptists could hop on a horse with a bible in their
pocket and preach the gospel anywhere, whereas the Presbyterians had
to wait until there was a railroad, because the ministers carried
around trunk loads of books.
Today Jesus is proving once again that
he isn't very good at public relations. He's been on the road,
preaching, working miracles, gathering followers, many of whom have
heard him say things like “The Son of Man must suffer and die, and
rise again”. And they wondered what this meant. And finally
Jesus, in the fullness of time resolutely determines (an older
translation says “set his face like flint”) to go to Jerusalem,
where everyone knew he would risking his life.
This gospel passage tells us several
things. First, Jesus invites us on his journey – a journey that
Thomas recognizes when he tells the other apostles, “Let us go down
with him and die.” Dietrich Bonhoffer said something similar –
Christ invites us to go to Jerusalem and die with him. If we are
followers of Christ, that is our goal because it's the only way to
resurrection. Jesus wants to minister to the Samaritans, who reject
him. James and John offer to call down fire from heaven and wipe
them off the face of the earth. Sometimes that's our reaction when
we meet someone who doesn't think like us. We don't mind if they
disagree, just so it doesn't affect us, and often, it doesn't. It's
hard not to get mad at a politician who has held his finger to the
wind and decided to vote for assisted suicide, unrestricted taxpayer
funded access to abortion, open borders, allowing men who identify as
women to compete in women's sports, and the list goes on. And I am
tempted to get angry when I hear someone who claims to be Catholic
advocating these positions. But Jesus models for us that it is not
out place to destroy those who oppose us; even when it takes
everything we have, our job is to continue to love them, never
compromising on our values, but never forgetting that God loves them
just as much as he loves me, and indeed, just as much as he loves the
Blessed Mother. And maybe it is here that some of us will be called
to go down to Jerusalem and die with him.
Even after all this, there are some
fools that still want to follow Jesus. One promises to go wherever
he goes. In those days students of rabbis would live with the rabbi
while learning; they would take care of the rabbi's needs in
exchange. That's what this man is doing. Jesus says that he doesn't
have a place like that; if you choose to follow Jesus, expect that
life will not be that comfortable. Following Jesus means that if we
have two cloaks and our neighbor has none, we are to give him one of
our cloaks. Following Jesus means that when we see a hungry crowd,
we don't dismiss them; we give them food. Following Jesus means that
we stop and bind up the wounds of the one lying by the side of the
road. But most of us are more concerned with making sure we have two
cars that run, several changes of clothing, a place where we can
spread out, a color television, cable, and I could go on and on.
Following Jesus to the point where we are not comfortable may be how
some of us will go to Jerusalem and die with him.
Let the dead bury the dead, he says to
another. Sometimes following Jesus means that we will go against the
expectations of society, even of our families. There was a time when
every Catholic mother and not a few Catholic fathers rejoiced when
one of their children chose to become a priest or a brother or a nun.
Now not only do Catholic parents not even suggest such things to
their children, but when the child comes to such a decision on his or
her own terms, they actively discourage them. And when a Catholic
couple face the choice of having more than two children, it's the
rare couple who chooses to serve God by raising a large family.
Sometimes going to Jerusalem to die with Jesus means that we will
disappoint or even anger those we love.
A third person promises to follow
Jesus, but first to go home and say goodbye to his family. After
all, Elisha did exactly that when summoned by Elijah. But Jesus is
not Elijah. Once you've decided to follow Jesus, he will never take
second place. And how guilty am I of this, because I can always
think of reasons that I should do something else first; we all have
long lists of things to do, and when they all get done, then we can
turn our undivided attention to Jesus. And for some of us, saying
goodbye to not only family, but all those things that occupy our days
and are so familiar and pleasant, is the way we will go to Jerusalem
with Him and die.
This is one of those passages in the
gospels that makes me feel guilty and it should make you feel that
way as well. This Jesus is not warm and cuddly, He is not the one
who looks on my selfish ways like a tolerant old grandfather looks
upon his three year old grandchild. Jesus is talking to people who
want to follow him, who perhaps have already made that cholce, and he
is saying that following him means that your every waking moment must
be proclaiming God's kingdom with your whole being. Otherwise you
aren't worthy of the kingdom of heaven.
Are you and I willing to go down to
Jerusalem and die with him? If I'm honest, the answer is a shaky,
sad “no”. And my hope is that I'm a little better than I was ten
years ago, and that there will be mercy, even for people like me who
aren't willing.
