Some friends went deer hunting separated into pairs for the day. And that night one hunter returned alone, staggering under the weight of an 8 point buck. “Where’s Harry?” asked another hunter. “Oh, he fainted a couple of miles up the trail” Harry’s friend answered. “And you left him lying there all alone and carried the deer back?” A tough call, said the hunter. “But I figure no one is going to steel Harry!”
This short story illustrates the problem we have in making a commitment to another person and off making excuses. W can find it hard to commit ourselves to following Jesus, and we come up with many excuses for not doing so.
Today’s readings challenge us to analyze and take a real hard look at our priorities and to examine the excuses we make not to answer God’s call to be his disciple.
In today’s gospel you almost can see an advertisement that doesn’t want to sell what is offered. The advertisement is “Come join our faith and suffer”. You see, Jesus was in a determined mind set to go to Jerusalem. We all know what that meant. It wasn’t like taking a day trip into Seattle to see the sights. Jesus was heading to his passion and death. And after seeing the movie “The Passion of the Christ”, it was nothing to be so determined about.
Jesus decided to go on the most direct route through Samaria.
And Samaritans and Jews were not the best of friends. Samaritans constantly hindered and even injured bands of Jewish pilgrims who attempted to pass through their territory. Jesus was most likely hoping to reach out a hand in friendship but the Samaritans blatantly refused. So rejection and hostility is often the price of discipleship.
Just imagine what all our good priests went through and in some cases are still going through, just because a handful of priests lost their way. All of us, in some way or another, have been touched in a negative way by this scandal in our Church, the hurt, the looks, the comments, the hostility, the rejection, however, we became stronger as a church.
Three would-be followers find out just how demanding discipleship is in today’s gospel. It can be a lonely journey. “The Son of Man has no where to rest his head”. We cannot let sentiment get in the way of the work that has to be done. We have to prioritize. We cannot be making excuses even if it means “let the dead bury their dead.”
One of the would be followers of Jesus requests that he be allowed to take care of one of the most sacred duties under the law, the burial of a parent. The urgency of the gospel supercedes this claim. Jesus’ saying means that those who do not respond to the gospel call will be spiritually dead; They will have time to bury the physically dead.
Elijah, in our first reading gave permission to his disciple Elisha to say good-bye to his family, but the call of the reign of God is more urgent than that. Even family ties have to be sacrificed for the sake of the kingdom.
A plowman never plowed straight furrows (rows) by looking backwards. Discipleship calls for a complete commitment, no looking back.
Now, all this sounds O.K. but what can cause us today in looking back, losing our focus on what is right? One point in Father Rick’s homily last week really stuck in this hard head of mine. As he put it “the things we own, the things that own us”. The things that can own us if we let them are greed, materialism, hatred, dishonesty, bigotry, unfaithfulness, not holding deep in our hearts the dignity of every human being from the womb to the tomb, and many more.
When we take action with these ideologies they become our owner we become the owned. This gets in our way and blocks us from discipleship, from hearing God’s call for us to love. And that is at the heart of discipleship, isn’t it? If we truly love then God gives us strength and by the power of his Spirit, we gain the wisdom, and by Jesus’ example of sacrifice through his love, we have what we need to be disciples.
You see, discipleship is hard, following Jesus is tough. The way to Jerusalem is tough. It is the road to crucifixion. Anyone wanting to follow Jesus must be ready for that. The journey is no joke. However, the rewards are greater than anything of this earth and it is in not expecting reward that you are given great things from God.
The point of today’s scripture is this: If you want to be a follower of Jesus, you have to be able to make a total commitment. No excuses! In fact, there is much common sense in what Jesus is saying.
When going after something we want, we usually put everything into getting it whether it is a new house, a new car, a new career. We seem to stop at nothing in achieving our goals. The same is for discipleship. For an example, there is no point in praying for change in the world without putting ourselves out to do something, as great or small as it is, to help make the change. As Jesus once said, what is it if you say feed the hungry and you give them no food! Or say clothe the naked and you give no clothing.
In order to be a disciple, we will be inconvenienced, We must not be afraid to stand up for what we believe in and be counted. Through all this, Jesus will be at our sides guiding our way. We find strength through the body and blood of Christ to walk the talk. Join with me today in making a total commitment to follow the will of God. AS the old saying goes; “the pay is small but the rewards are great.”
This phrase I have always held in the back of my mind and every so often it pops up to the front. I leave you with this: Depending on the choice one makes determines what will be in the stage that’s soon to follow, for all ETERNITY”.