I’ve recently been on holiday with my sister and brother-in –law and the dog! Before we set off, it took a good two hours to pack the car. The boot was full of bags of one sort and another, things for us, things for the dog, food, bottles of water, medical supplies, shoes for all weathers, cagoules, photographic equipment, etc. Inside the car, there was a suitcase on the back seat, on top of which the dog was perched inside two dog beds. I was squashed on the other third of the seat with two bags. We took everything but the kitchen sink, despite the fact that we were going to a very well appointed bungalow! When we travel, we try to take everything we might need – just in case! We really like to have our home comforts. But how different it was for Jesus and his disciples. They were itinerant travellers, walking from village to village, town to town, never in one place for very long. They went just as they were, travelling light. They had an urgent message to proclaim and so many people who needed to hear it. As they travelled on, they were usually reliant on the hospitality of people in that area, and at times, may even have slept out under the stars. It was a hard and demanding life, a life that called for total commitment.
In our Gospel reading today, we heard about three people who could have become disciples of Jesus, but sadly, each one had a problem. Jesus seemed to speak very harshly to them, but perhaps he sensed their lack of real understanding and commitment. They needed a reality check, and they needed to understand what following Jesus really meant. The days ahead were going to be extremely difficult. Jesus was heading for Jerusalem, and he knew when he got there, there would be strong opposition from the powerful Jewish authorities. Would these men be up to it? Preaching the Gospel was paramount – and would take precedence over everything else in their lives – even family. They needed to understand this. It wouldn’t be a celebrity life, it would be very hard and they might often lack food, creature comforts, or even a roof over their heads. Were they prepared for this? Jesus knew there was no longer any room for casual followers, so he tested them severely.
Let’s look at these three men. The first, actually offers to follow Jesus, he says, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ It sounds easy doesn’t it? – but maybe a little too easy. So Jesus, sensing that the man doesn’t really understand what he is letting himself in for, spells out for him some of the hardships. In essence he says, ‘Understand that it is not going to be an easy ride; being a disciple is difficult and you need to think seriously about what is involved before you make a commitment.’ We are not told what happened to that man, so we can only surmise that he probably thought better of it and didn’t become a disciple. We see it all the time in our churches today, don’t we? Many people are baptised or confirmed and they come to church for a short while afterwards, and then disappear from our midst and hardly ever attend church any more. They possibly lack true faith and commitment.
The second man is actually called by Jesus, who says, ‘Follow me,’ but the man replies ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my Father.’ One might have thought that it was a perfectly legitimate request, particularly as in Jewish law, it was considered to be the son’s prime duty. However, Jesus’ reply seems quite harsh when he says, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ We know that Jesus was full of love and compassion.
We remember how he wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, and how he raised him and others from death, so it is difficult for us to understand why Jesus should say such a thing. Perhaps he was exaggerating to make his point about the importance of furthering the kingdom, or maybe he sensed the man was making excuses.
In a way he was saying ‘Well, possibly later, but at the moment I have more pressing things to do.’ So Jesus sharply reminds him that when he calls us, there is nothing more important that we have to do. Again, we do not know what decision the man made, but we can imagine. I remember my own reaction, when I was first approached with the idea of becoming a reader. I had umpteen very good reasons why that shouldn’t happen. But, I did agree to think about it and pray about it. As I prayed and brought all my good reasons why I shouldn’t do it, to God, he had an answer for every single one, and even better ideas why I should!! In the end, he won, and here I am! But we all do it don’t we? If there is something we are not keen to do, or something we don’t think we can cope with, we make an excuse.
Everyone here today has been called by God, otherwise we would not be here. If God has called us, he has called us for a reason, and that reason is to serve him and further his kingdom.
There are many ways of doing this, and not everyone is called to be a reader like me. But everyone here has a job to do for God, so we all need to pray and listen and to be open to God’s prompting. There is nothing more urgent that we can have to do than furthering God’s Kingdom.
The third man also said he would follow but that he would like to say goodbye to his family first. Again, on the surface it seems a reasonable enough request. But of course Jesus knew that would entail a delay of several days at least, or even longer. It wasn’t a case of popping home, kissing loved ones on the cheek and saying goodbye. It was a much grander affair, including greater family and even distant relatives. Jesus sensed that this man’s love for his family might get in the way of his calling, and that he might be constantly looking back and regretting what he had given up. So he issues a grave warning, saying, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’
In times before farm machinery, the hand plough was used to plough the fields. It was difficult to control and it took great concentration to hold it firm and plough straight furrows. The farmer needed to look straight ahead, if he but turned his head, the plough blade would turn and the furrow would be crooked. As a child, when we lived at the cottage, I remember the farmer coming down the lane with the old hand plough and the cart horse. When he reached the field opposite our house, he would hitch the horse in front of the plough, and he would walk behind the plough, controlling the horse by means of a long rein. For several hours, horse, plough and farmer would walk up and down the large field, and bit by bit the ploughed furrows would appear. It took a long time and was hard and exhausting, and the farmer could not take his eyes off the job in hand for a moment. Once again, we don’t know the decision of the third man, Luke, does not tell us, we are left to think about it for ourselves.
As Jesus clearly spelled out, the cost of following him can be great, but following him can also bring us great joy. It can be exciting as we endeavour to follow where the Lord is leading, stepping out into the unknown and the new with him, sometimes not knowing exactly where we shall end up. It involves trust and faith, lots of it. As we work our way through ‘Transforming Church’ we have the perfect opportunity to do this, as we pray and listen and try to ascertain what God wants for our future. So let us all pledge anew our full commitment to God and his kingdom.
Pauline (Lay reader)