26th Week in Ordinary Time — Luke 9:57-62
In this Gospel, Jesus and his disciples are continuing their journey. Luke writes: “Someone said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’” Jesus warns this individual that his life is the life of an itinerant preacher who is always on the road. He puts it in these words: “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Luke does not tell us if this person followed Jesus or not.
Later Jesus said to someone else: “Follow me.” However, this individual told Jesus that he had to go and bury his father. In reply, Jesus said to him: “Let the dead bury their dead. Go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Then a third person said to Jesus: “I will follow you. However, first I need to go and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus looked directly at this person and said: “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Clearly, Jesus desires that his disciples be wholehearted in their commitment to him and his mission. Jesus desires to be first in our lives. Yes, we will have family, children, friends and commitments. However, our primary commitment needs to be to Jesus. Most likely, this call is a great challenge for us. After all, our families and responsibilities are extremely important and rightly so. However, Jesus knows that if our primary commitment is to him, everything else in our lives will be in proper perspective: our families, jobs, finances, etc.
Even when we truly strive to wholeheartedly follow Jesus, it is easy to stray from the path. However, when we become aware that we have strayed from the path, we can correct our course. And we may have to do this several times a day. However, it only takes a second. This is all that Jesus asks of us! If we do so, most likely our day will be filled with graces. It is our choice!
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