THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

[cappie]

The cost of discipleship is the central theme of the Gospel text from Luke, chapter 9. In the text “Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem” He was journeying to Jerusalem in order to fulfill God’s plan for his life, a plan that involves a cross and crucifixion on Calvary. As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, he encounters three would-be followers. Along the road the first man said,   ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘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,” and the man replied,  ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’

Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

Jesus is making it quite clear what the cost of following him is.

As modern-day followers of Jesus, we, too, must face the cost of discipleship. Our journey, the Christian life, parallels the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. Jesus is telling us, up front, that our journey with him will not be an easy one. Signing on with Jesus means that everything becomes secondary to serving the Kingdom of God and sharing the gospel. Following will cost us. He tells us we will be less secure than foxes and birds.   Jesus is telling us that God’s affairs take priority over human affairs, no matter how important they may be.

In his words about counting the cost, Jesus is not  being “mean,” he’s being Lord. “To have a Lord, is to have a Lord.” Meaning, one’s primary allegiance is to that Lord. Service to the Lord takes priority over everything else.

He, too, was serving God. He, too, made the Kingdom his top priority. He, too, left his parents. He, too, went away from his hometown Nazareth, and all his friends. He knew of what he spoke. He had counted the cost. He would not ask any would-be followers to do things he, himself, had not already done. Or to go to places he, himself had not already gone.

The cost of discipleship is not time conditioned. We are under the same word as the first disciples. We, too, are less secure in the world than foxes and birds. If we feel more secure than foxes and birds, perhaps we are spending too much time burying our dead, chatting with friends, and looking back over the plow.

In our second reading from Galatians, Paul tells us of the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. He says, “ When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” The freedom of God, the freedom of Jesus, the freedom Paul was talking about is not freedom from the cost of discipleship, but freedom for it.

We do not plow and look back, ploughing means going forward. Life in Christ is a journey. Our hymns teach us this as well.  

The Journey of life in Christ is always forward and is never easy. Yet the Lord who has called us to follow, will stay with us along the way, of this we can be assured.

In the words of the hymn:

“O Jesus, I have promised to serve you to the end; Remain forever near me, my master and my friend;
I shall not fear the battle if you are by my side, Nor wander from the pathway if you will be my guide.
“O Jesus you have promised, to all who follow you. That where you are in glory, your servant shall be too.
And Jesus I have promised to serve you and the end; O give me grace to follow, my master and my friend.”

 

We hear the voice of the One we follow in this week’s Psalm.  He calls us to make His faith our own—to abide in confidence that He will not abandon us, that He will show us “the path to life,” leading us to the fullness of joy in His presence forever.