Recently, we got an urgent call in the early hours of the morning as my mother-in-law was being taken to A&E as the paramedics thought her heart was failing. We had to get up and go to be with her and everything else that had been planned for that day had to be rearranged.
Thankfully, she has rallied somewhat and, while still being frail, is on the mend. Our experience of having to drop everything and go was similar to Jesus' response to potential disciples, which was one of absolute immediacy and urgency (Luke 9. 51 – end). In this passage Jesus challenges his actual disciples and his would-be disciples about what it means to follow him and be a disciple.
In speaking to would-be disciples Jesus is emphatic that God comes first. Before commitments to home and to family, God comes first. This is the practical implication and application of Jesus’ summary of the Law: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul; and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’”
As one example, “The obligation to bury one’s father was regarded by many Jews of Jesus’ time as the most holy and binding duty of a son; but Jesus says that that is secondary to the call to follow him and announce God’s kingdom.” Jesus’ call cuts across family life and our traditional understandings of family. Here, even saying goodbye to your family before you leave seems to be criticised by Jesus!
Jesus is talking here to people who were wanting to be part of his itinerant ministry but, as we heard a couple of weeks ago, he also had followers who stayed in their homes and workplaces and who provided support for the team of disciples who were on the road. So, these words of Jesus don’t mean that every Christian should leave home and family in order to follow him but they do mean that wherever we are we must put God first in our lives.
Despite that I wonder how we might inject a similar sense of urgency into our service of God? Jesus knew that his time was short and that there was much to do in that short space of time. We follow God throughout our lives and therefore don't have that same sense of immediacy and urgency.
In the back of our minds we know that time is short and that we never know what lies around the corner. Often, we don't like to contemplate that reality but much of Jesus' teaching takes us into that space.
Jesus' call is that we put God first and make God central to our lives and our ministry. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This passage asks us what we will leave, what we will drop in order to do that. Some things are too important to put off any longer.
There is no point pretending that any of this is easy. What Jesus says to his would-be disciples still strikes us today as extreme but he is doing is making clear the real choice for us; between putting God first or putting ourselves, our needs and commitments first. That is the choice and dilemma that faces us each day. If we are to be followers of Jesus, then we need to continually say to ourselves WWJD; What would Jesus do. May it be so for each one of us. Amen.
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The Ocean Blue - Love Doesn't Make It Easy On Us.
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