There’s a great correlation in this morning’s scriptures, between what the Word of God is giving us, and what is happening in our liturgical calendar, and what is happening in our world.
As always, when Jesus invites us to follow him, we have this correlation. Because following Jesus means looking at things from a very different perspective: and that’s not always easy. Or comfortable.The people in the first village, for example: they like having things their own way, and don’t want Jesus to come and change that. In fact, when they see that Jesus has his face set towards Jerusalem, the reject him: not even allowing him into their midst.
Not for a meal, for a drink of water, for an evening’s rest. Run out before he even arrived.
OUCH! This was a huge insult, a demonstrated example of religious intolerance, and the basis for retaliation of hostility – which is what the disciples suggest.
And Jesus doesn’t dwell on that; instead he just moves on.
Which gives us opportunity to ponder:
How often do we not see the face of Jesus in the guest that approaches us?
How often do we not see the possibility of something new because we’re too focused on keeping things as they are?
How often are we so busy looking for offense that we create excuses to be conflictual?
We’re human. We do this. Yet today’s Good News has Jesus showing us the example (and power) of just moving past the nay-sayers and rejectors. The folks who seem to enjoy sitting in negative spaces.
Jesus moves on. And his true disciples continue along with him.
And it is while travelling, Jesus and his friends interact with three other folks – now these folks could have been from the village they’ve just left, they could be other travellers from far away, they could be folks from the next village who want to welcome him. We don’t know: but we do know that they represent some interesting perspectives, and they receive some unexpected and at times baffling replies from the Christ.
The one who says “I will follow you anywhere!” seems to be a great start – but when Jesus indicates that following him is an itinerant lifestyle – with no fixed address – that person fades into the background again – as though his offer to follow was meant to include a proviso, a second sentence of “so long as I can stay at home where I’m comfortable.”
Then the second traveller doesn’t even initiate conversation; but Jesus invites him to follow. And what an air-tight reason to NOT follow Jesus: I have a funeral to plan.
And Jesus’ response may not be the insult that many take it for:
Anyone who is in the process of grieving knows that numbness, or a temporary deadening of emotions, is normal. When we are in grief, part of ourselves can feel dead inside.
So Jesus’ comment for the dead to bury their dead may be a compassionate and pastoral response to the harsh reality of death and the painful reality of grief; while also extending a ministry opportunity to the man. For in the directive to go and proclaim the Kingdom of God, Jesus is reminding this person of the comfort and hope of eternal life with those that are loved but seen no more; to provide for his family a sacred space where mourners acknowledge their pain and to seek solace by looking forward, and moving in faith towards God.
Finally, the third traveller jumps in with an offer to follow, but includes a substantial BUT in there, as the person has a list of things they want to do first. They are so focused on his own immediate plans that he can’t see the big picture: that following Jesus means movement; it means change.
It’s worth noting that Jesus doesn’t refuse any of these folks: he simply reminds them that the way forward is, in fact, the way forward.
None of these folks is told they cannot be followers of Jesus: they are being given the option to make their own decisions. But they are being invited into that space with their eyes open: discipleship is not a passing fad, it’s a life-long commitment – that’s not always comfortable.
So in this passage, aside from the focus on discipleship, there are two components here that speak to us that I’m going to highlight:
The first is, of course, the call to be a disciple. And as I shared with our younger friends this morning, Paul gives us a nice set of practices of what it means to be a disciple: a follower: through acts of love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We cannot be disciples just in name or intention; we are meant to live out that reality.
Through tolerance and acceptance, through flexibility, through affirming and encouraging others. It’s inviting neighbours to come to church with us; it’s welcoming guests that we’ve not seen before, it’s in keeping public discourse civil and positive.
Discipleship is a verb: an action word.
Which segues nicely to our second point: movement.
As one of my colleagues this week shared: our call is to “steadfastly looking ahead, not backward; proclaiming God’s dawning reign, not falling back into deadening routines; and embracing a life of getting out and about in the neighborhood, not withdrawing into our foxholes.”1 As the church, we are always moving, following the example of Jesus.
Jesus is always on the move. He is not one to stand still and wait for things to come to him; he engages with the world where he is. And He is clear about where he is going –
In this passage, we hear his face is set towards Jerusalem – this is not just a place on the map, but it is also a faithful response to the what will face him- we hear of the death, but also of the resurrection and the ascension. Jerusalem is not just a physical destination for the people of God in Jesus’; it is their spiritual home – it is the place where folks have gone for generations, feeling closest to the presence of the Divine.
And so Jerusalem – as a spiritual concept – envelops all that has been, all that is, and all that will be. It is the shining example of the culmination of all of God’s promises.
Thus, setting one’s face towards Jerusalem is not merely about a point on the compass; it is a declaration of faith, it is a guide-post for all of life’s activities, it is an assurance and confidence of all that the Holy of Holies has promised us.
And to get there is a constant journey through all time and space – even our own.
And so as we hear these lessons, we put them into our own contexts and settings, moving into the present day and the days to come, with hope and confidence in Christ; .
We are informed by our past but not bound by it; acknowledging with gratitude what successes we’ve had and what lessons we’ve learned – being real with ourselves about who we were, who we are, and who we can be.
We are inspired by those who have gone before, but honouring those who are here now, and energised by those who are yet to come.
We are encouraged and empowered by the rhythms and cycles of being the church – the people AND the institution:
For in the calendar, we are in the early phases of “ordinary time” – approximately 6 months of the year when we hear narratives of people interacting with Jesus. (The other 6 months is stories about Jesus and his divine presence – high feasts and celebrations like Christmas, Easter, and Ascension).
So in the coming months we are going to be given ordinary or normal encounters with Jesus – and we’ll be invited to consider how we can act accordingly in our own lives.
And in the lectionary for this time, in this year, we’re entering into a section of the Gospel known as the Lukan travel narrative – where the stories of Jesus are going to be stories of movement.
They will guide us away from Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, and follow the journey towards Jerusalem: literally and spiritually.
And they will take us away from whatever keeps us bound or limited; whatever keeps us focused on the earthly instead of the spiritual. These readings will take us into the promise of what God is doing for us – and with us! For we know that the mission and ministry of this place is to participate in the mission of God: and that mission is to love.
So what a great time it is: as we embark on our own journey, with each day being a new day.
What a great time for us to embrace the potential and possibility of being the House of God, the house of prayer, the house of grace: today and for years to come.
What a great time for us all to accept and embrace the invitation of Jesus, as we commit anew to follow him.
What a great time – as at every time - to be the people of God.
Amen.
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