The Radical Cost of Discipleship

] XIII Sunday Ordinary Time Luke 9, 51-52 June 26, 2022 When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” THE RADICAL COST OF DISCIPLESHIP Isn’t Jesus terrible? Here this man just wants to go home and bury his father. To comfort his poor mother and be with his family for the funeral services of his dad and Jesus says, “let the dead bury the dead.” What could be more cold hearted? More unfeeling and less compassionate? Following Jesus is not supposed to be easy. Jesus is calling us to leave all and to follow him. This is a radical call, not just for priests and nuns. It is for all the baptized. We are all supposed to leave everything and to follow Jesus. At first Jesus saying let the dead bury the dead seems cold and unfeeling. Why can’t the man bury his dad? Shouldn’t a good follower of Jesus be one who would honor his father and mother by at the very least burying them? But the situation probably wasn’t like what it seemed. In Jesus’ time it was customary that the oldest son would stay at home, manage his parent’s estate, see to their proper burial, and then he would inherit everything from his father. If that is the situation, Jesus’ command isn’t one to skip his dad’s funeral and abandon his grieving mother. Rather it is a challenge to follow Jesus now! Today! Not in 30 years. Urgent and challenging yes! But not cold and unreasonable. This guy didn’t want to go home and bury his dad who just died, no he wanted to put off being a follower of Jesus. He wanted to continue living his life the way that he always lived it. The call to discipleship, the call to follow Jesus is for each and every one of us. All the baptized are called to leave everything and to begin to follow Jesus. What does this mean for each one of us? Does it mean you have to sell your home, quit your job, abandon your family and then follow Jesus? No, not necessarily. What it means is that if there is anything that stands in the way of Jesus, you have to get rid of it. It means that if there is something in your life that takes you from Jesus you have to abandon it, TODAY! And then follow Jesus. If you aren’t willing to abandon it, then you are worthy to be called a follower of Jesus. You’re like the guy who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back. Now the good thing for most of us, our families don’t stand in the way of following Jesus. The good thing is that for the majority of us here we follow and serve Jesus in the context of our family. For most of us, our families bring us closer to Jesus. They don’t stand in the way of Jesus. So, what is it that keeps us from following Jesus? What is it that keeps me from following Jesus? What is it that keeps you from following Jesus? It what ways our you putting Jesus off today? The very first part of the gospel might be an example. It seems at first that it isn’t a part of the story. Jesus stops in a Samaritan Village, they don’t want to accept Jesus, so James and John want to destroy them. And want does Jesus do? Jesus rebukes them! Not the towns people who don’t want to accept him, but James and John, his own disciples. What do we do when we meet someone who is on the other side of the fence? What do we do when we meet someone who we disagree with? We get angry, we yell and shout and them, we call them names, many times people resort to violence. What does Jesus do? Jesus moves on. This past Friday the Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade. And what does the media want us to do? The media wants to divide us, the media wants those who are pro on one side and con on the other. The media wants us to call down fire and destroy the enemy. But Jesus teaches us another way. We don’t have to get angry and call down fire on those who disagree with us. At times we can just walk away, other times we can engage people. I think right now would be a great time for us to put aside our differences and began to do things together so that women can keep their babies. All of these stories at the start of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem become powerful illustrations of the cost of discipleship, anywhere and anytime. Jesus is inviting all of us, not just priests and nuns to break free from the expectations of our culture when the mission of announcing and enacting the reign of God demands it. We might not like to admit it, but the invitation to follow Jesus is an invitation to respond to misunderstanding and hostility with compassion and nonviolence.