Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Lk 9:51-62
June 26, 2022 | Sunday

Today’s Gospel

As they went on their way, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

To another, Jesus said, “Follow me!” But he answered, “Let me go back now, for, first, I want to bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them, and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said to him, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus said to him, “Whoever has put his hand to the plow, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

Today’s Reflection:

In one of his books, an Irish writer named Frank O’Connor (1903-1966) recounts an incident in his childhood when he and his friends went to pick some fruits in an orchard. This orchard had very high walls which appeared to be too high and too dangerous to climb. Single-mindedly they threw their hats over the wall, leaving them no other choice but to get their hats and, of course, to pick some fruits in the orchard.

Such a single-minded decision is reflected in the responses of the Prophet Elisha and the Lord Jesus to their respective vocations. Resolute in his pursuit of his prophetic call, Elisha—who was farming when he heard the call—slaughters his oxen, cooks the meat using his plowing equipment, bids farewell to his family and friends, and follows his mentor Elijah (First Reading).

Even more resolute is Jesus’ resolve to accomplish his messianic mission which entails getting crucified once he arrives in Jerusalem. Despite the certain prospect of death, the Lord is absolutely determined to go to Jerusalem as suggested by the phrase “set his face” (αὐτὸς τὸ πρόσωπον ἐστήσεν; Lk 9:51)—a phrase that recalls the unwavering resolve of Jeremiah (21:10) and Ezekiel (13:17) to fulfill their prophetic missions. So focused is the Lord in his goal that no amount of rejection in a Samaritan village dampens his resolve to move forward towards Jerusalem (Lk 9:52-56).

On their way, the Lord warns his disciples of a seemingly benign attitude which can bring about failure if left uncorrected. This has to do with their tendency to procrastinate or to put their commitment to discipleship on hold. The last two “would-be” disciples illustrate this tendency. The first tells the Lord to let him first bury his father (Lk 9:59) and the second tells him to let him first say farewell to his family (Lk 9:61). If only to underscore the necessity of getting committed to discipleship right there and then, the Lord tells the former to let the dead bury their dead and the latter that fitness to the Kingdom of God requires no turning back.

The phrase “let me first” or “but first” has to some extent become our usual excuse when asked to do a task or to decide on certain matters. We tend to find alibis for putting on hold a difficult task or commitment. This likewise true as regards to our commitment to living out the Gospel specifically to responding favorable to the Lord’s call to conversion. We would like to change our life for the better, we would like to turn away from sin, but we find excuses for not doing it right here and now.

This tendency of ours is best captured by Augustine’s prayer: “Lord, make me chaste but not yet” (Confessions 8,7). When he finally gets converted and pronounces his firm resolve to follow the Lord, Augustine says that late has he loved the Lord—in whom his heart finally finds rest (Confessions 10,26). After his conversion, Augustine encountered a lot of setbacks in the course of his discipleship, but his resolute commitment to the Lord enabled him to overcome these setbacks.

Late too might we get genuinely converted to the Lord and resolutely commit ourselves to living out the Gospel. Hopefully, it shall never be too late. The right moment to do it is now. We shall surely encounter many stumbling blocks and setbacks along the way, but these can always be overcome or at least managed as long as we remain single-minded in our discipleship with the Lord. /Vulnerasti, 2022