When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem
This was the culmination of the mission of Jesus, the core of what it was all about. Jesus himself knew what was coming: opposition, hardship, and suffering, and so mentally prepared to face it when it came. As Isaiah prophesied, "I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame" (see Isaiah 50:7).
But most did not understood the plans of Jesus, and so were not braced to expect opposition and challenge. Rather, they were surprised, and took it personally.
Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?
We too are often surprised by the ways that people reject the mission of the Savior, the ways that they refuse to accept the call to act with justice, and to love, and to walk humbly before God. And like James and John we sometimes take this personally, as though we were affronted for Jesus's sake. But Jesus himself expected such situations and was therefore able to move on without getting flustered, leaving the door open to future mercy and understanding.
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Just as Jesus realistically understood his destination he desired his followers also entertain no illusions about it. He was not going to a palace, such as the one in which "that fox" (see Luke 13:32) Herod dwelt (see Matthew 11:8). He was going not to a place to rest his head, but rather to the cross, where he would desire to rest but be unable to do so. His followers were called to take up their own crosses in turn. Following Jesus would not be a quick path to prosperity and ease, and to hope for that was to miss the point.
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
Even a genuinely good priority like family, a genuinely good work like burial, must be able to take second place to the mission of the Messiah. Every potential follower must eventually reach the point where he realizes it is not all about him, that he is no longer the center of his own story. Jesus must take that place of priority, and his mission, that sense of urgency.
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Elisha was permitted to go and tend to his family before following Elijah. But Jesus himself was one greater even than Elijah, and his mission, culminating in his journey to Jerusalem, now had an absolute urgency. Jesus was focused on Jerusalem, and those who could not get on board with that priority would be left by the wayside. Left by the wayside, but not condemned or destroyed. Fire was not called down upon them. When he was finally lifted up on the cross, all people, even those who had not followed him there as his disciples would be drawn to him (see John 12:32). The door to mercy remained open.
For ourselves we can ask, what is central in our lives? Are we in the orbit Jesus or do we expect him to revolve around us? Who reigns on the throne of our hearts? Even good priorities can come into conflict with the pressing urgency of the Kingdom of God. Only with Jesus himself on the throne, living in the freedom of the Spirit, will all of our other duties, obligations, and aspirations fit into their proper places.
The only way to fulfill the law of love is to be Spirit filled followers of Jesus himself. Although it is a path of service to our brothers and sisters it is only by this path that we discover true freedom. The cross always sounds to our flesh like dying, because to our flesh it is dying, but only so that the life of the Spirit can be fully unleashed.
I say, then: live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
No comments:
Post a Comment