This week's reflection
Commitment, The Cost Of Discipleship
This weekend, Luke introduces some potential disciples who offer a variety of reasons as to why Jesus’ call to ministry was impossible for them to accept (Luke 9.51-62).
The first willingly offered to follow Jesus. Surprisingly, Jesus raised objection to the willing disciple. Undoubtedly, Jesus can see the depth of the heart and knows the demands and the cost of a commitment one might make too lightly, and a journey undertaken without due consideration. Next, Jesus invited another, who made an excuse regarding his father’s funeral. At this Jesus remarked, “Let the dead bury their dead”:
This response may seem unsympathetic; however, it points to the fact that, this individual’s father may not have been dead yet, but probably sick, frail or very elderly. He simply wished to stay with his father until his death. The third fellow who accepted to follow Jesus wanted a chance to bid his family farewell. Jesus rebuked him saying, that the ploughman must look ahead rather than look back. Looking back while ploughing causes crooked lines in the field.
The responses of the three would-be-followers of Jesus, offers a classical reminder of the cases of initial reluctance and lame excuses in accepting God’s call from Moses (Exod. 3: 1, 4: 10), Gideon (Judg. 6: 15), Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6), Isaiah (Isaiah 6: 5) and Jonah to mention but a few, because of the cost involved.
We live at a time of high inflation, tremendous shortages, and great needs. We need parents, teachers, volunteers, priests, religious men, and women. We pray for the grace to overcome excuses, and for the strength to follow Jesus, embracing our human vocations with commitment while dealing with the challenges of the rising costs of living. In the word of Pope Francis, “God is calling you, don’t make excuses”.
Fr Martins Aloga
This weekend, Luke introduces some potential disciples who offer a variety of reasons as to why Jesus’ call to ministry was impossible for them to accept (Luke 9.51-62).
The first willingly offered to follow Jesus. Surprisingly, Jesus raised objection to the willing disciple. Undoubtedly, Jesus can see the depth of the heart and knows the demands and the cost of a commitment one might make too lightly, and a journey undertaken without due consideration. Next, Jesus invited another, who made an excuse regarding his father’s funeral. At this Jesus remarked, “Let the dead bury their dead”:
This response may seem unsympathetic; however, it points to the fact that, this individual’s father may not have been dead yet, but probably sick, frail or very elderly. He simply wished to stay with his father until his death. The third fellow who accepted to follow Jesus wanted a chance to bid his family farewell. Jesus rebuked him saying, that the ploughman must look ahead rather than look back. Looking back while ploughing causes crooked lines in the field.
The responses of the three would-be-followers of Jesus, offers a classical reminder of the cases of initial reluctance and lame excuses in accepting God’s call from Moses (Exod. 3: 1, 4: 10), Gideon (Judg. 6: 15), Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6), Isaiah (Isaiah 6: 5) and Jonah to mention but a few, because of the cost involved.
We live at a time of high inflation, tremendous shortages, and great needs. We need parents, teachers, volunteers, priests, religious men, and women. We pray for the grace to overcome excuses, and for the strength to follow Jesus, embracing our human vocations with commitment while dealing with the challenges of the rising costs of living. In the word of Pope Francis, “God is calling you, don’t make excuses”.
Fr Martins Aloga
