26 June 2016 - follow me

[ Today's Readings ]

We need to follow Jesus and put nothing before him. Even though Elijah is the biggest name in Old Testament prophesy he still permits Elisha to put his family first. He sends him off to go back and provide for his people. Elijah is great. But his call on Elisha to follow him is reasonable. It has reasonable limits.

“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you.”
Elijah answered, “Go back!
Have I done anything to you?”

We have no such guarantee when Jesus calls us. Families are good. Jesus does honor his Father and his mother. After all, that commandment was his idea. But our earthly relationships can no longer take precedence. Jesus himself must come first.

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." 

In another place he brings the point home.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (see Matthew 10:37).

Why does Jesus ask this of us and not Elijah? Only Jesus is worthy of a place in our lives even above that of our families. Only the task to which we are called by Jesus has the pressing urgency of spreading the kingdom.

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."

If we must put Jesus before family how much more so must we place him before our own desire for comfort. We can't even cling to the idea of a place to call home. The more one moves the more tedious the process seems. But Jesus gives no guarantees in this regard.

Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.

His power may not always be used to smooth out the annoyances and difficulties we encounter on the journey.  The freedom we receive in him cannot be an opportunity merely to satisfy the flesh. If a Samaritan village does not receive us we may just have to grit our teeth and bear it. We are not permitted to either avoid the journey or to destroy the offending cit with fire. Following Jesus is too important. His mercy and his mission come before our fragile emotional states.

We are called to follow Jesus and to live by the Spirit. When we do we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. We won't try to burn down any Samaritan villages with an air strike from Heaven. We will even hold loosely the goods of earth which we are permitted to have. Even family and home and comfort take a second place to Jesus. It is amazing when we discover much he is worth any sacrifice which is required of us.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot."