The
Road to Jerusalem
Luke
9:51-62
13th
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
Comments
Post a Comment