The Road to Jerusalem

The Road to Jerusalem

Luke 9:51-62

13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction

Today’s Gospel speaks about Jesus’ resolute will to head to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was to be the place where he would suffer and die. His determination to head to the city of David speaks of the urgency of this task and his single mindedness to fulfill his mission.

The Gospel

Today’s Gospel was written by Luke the evangelist. Luke tells us that when the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. But before that, Jesus and his disciples had to pass by a Samaritan village. Jesus sends ahead of him some messengers who entered a Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for him.

But the people in that village refused to receive him as they came to know that he was headed towards Jerusalem. Samaritans and Jews in those days were at odds with one another. Samaritans were generally unfriendly to Jews heading to Jerusalem as they passed by Samaria.

When two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John came to know this, they said: “ Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to reduce them to ashes?” Jesus at once rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

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.”

Then to another, Jesus said:” Follow me!” But he answered, “ Let me go back now, for, first, I want to bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “ Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave 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. “

Reflection

Today’s gospel speaks of Jesus’ resolve to head to Jerusalem. His  determination to move towards Jerusalem gives this journey a sense of urgency. Luke tells us that Jesus knew that the “time drew near” when he was to be taken up to heaven. So Jesus sets his eyes towards the city of David where he was to suffer and die to fulfill his salvific mission. All this time, Jesus had been in Galilee. Now he heads to Jerusalem.

But even with his firm resolve to head to Jerusalem, there was opposition along the way. The Samaritans would not welcome him. His disciples’ reaction of calling down fire from heaven to punish the unwelcoming village was immediately rebuked by Jesus who pointed out to them that retaliatory measures or the use of force and violence were never options in advancing the cause of the kingdom of God.

Then Luke uses three hyperbolic proverbs to further highlight the need for an urgent and resolute response to the demands of the kingdom. These three hyperbolic proverbs were literary strategies used by Luke to jolt his readers and make them realize the urgency of the kingdom.

The first of these hyperbole was when a disciple declared that he wanted  to follow Jesus wherever he went. Jesus tells him that “foxes have holes and birds have nest, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. “ Jesus’ reply describes his lowly status and humble means as he preached the good news. The kingdom of God was to grow and advance without power and wealth; as lowly and as humble as Jesus was, the kingdom was to grow from small, insignificant  and humble beginnings.

The second of these hyperbole was when Jesus asked someone to follow him. The man responded that he needed first to bury his father. Jesus responds rather strangely: “ Let the dead bury their dead.”  To paraphrase the clearer meaning of this, Luke would have written: “ Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead.”

For Luke, those who didn’t follow Jesus were spiritually dead. It was as if  Jesus was telling those who were spiritually dead to bury those who were physically dead. The spiritually dead have all the time to bury those who were  physically dead. On the other hand, those who were spiritually alive because they followed the Lord had better and more urgent things to do. This is why Jesus says: “ as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

The third and last of these hyperbole was when a disciple told the Lord: “ I will follow you, Lord but first, let me say goodbye to my family. “ Jesus answers:” Whoever has put his hand to the plow and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God.” In the old times, when farmers used the plow to make furrows on the field, they had to put all their attention to what they were doing. If the farmer looked around while plowing, the furrows became crooked. The kingdom requires full attention and single mindedness. One’s inattention simply becomes a waste of time.

The three hyperbolic proverbs in a way were a contrast to Jesus’ resolve and determination to go to Jerusalem. Jesus unhesitatingly heads to Jerusalem,  unmindful of the obstacles and consequences of that journey. Luke’s use of the hyperbolic proverbs in a way showed how we respond to the kingdom.

We are slow and undecided. We tend to consider so many things before we commit to the kingdom. Like the three hyperbolic proverbs, we tend to consider our financial resources first ( first hyperbolic proverb) before we heed God’s call. We also tend to consider our family relations, friends and people close to us first ( second hyperbolic proverb) before we even consider God’s invitation. And we tend to get so distracted by so many things and concerns, that just like in the third hyperbolic proverb, we become half-hearted in following the Lord.

Today, Jesus tells us that he is ever resolved to journey towards Jerusalem without any consideration whatsoever about his own welfare. The Lord invites us to do the same. Let us not be afraid to follow the Lord and go up to Jerusalem with him with firm resolve.

Prayer

Jesus, I wish I had the same determination as you have. I am caught up in a web of desires and considerations that do not necessarily pertain to your kingdom. This is why perhaps I am not really decided to follow you wherever you go.

Give me the grace to be with you on your journey to Jerusalem. Forgive my indecision especially when I choose other things over you. Give me faith so I may no longer doubt in following you. Amen.

^“ But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.” – James 1: 6