Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
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Scripture |
Luke 9:51-62 51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village. 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” |
Devotional |
The journey to Jerusalem begins with a rejection. This is not an ideal way to begin a journey. Rejection by the Samaritans reflects the tension between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus has sent two disciples into the Samaritan village to arrange for food and a place to stay. Was Jesus planning to take his ministry into the village? Was Jesus continuing to reach outsiders as he had in the past two readings? They reject his disciples so he is willing to move on to the next village. Before we condemn James and John, we should remind ourselves how we feel after being rejected. How often would we like to call fire from heaven on someone who rejects us? Jesus accents the cost of discipleship. The disciple volunteers to follow Jesus. The one who has set his face toward the unknown at Jerusalem has no bargain to offer this follower. Just being rejected by the village, he has neither food nor place to stay. Discipleship could depend on how long since the last meal and how long since you last slept. This could be the turning point for some of us. The disciple Jesus calls to follow wishes to delay his following until later. If his father is not dead, he will wait until after all family responsibilities are fulfilled then he will become a disciple. The other disciple wishes to receive the families blessing then he will return to follow Jesus. The disciples had been sent out to minister to others but return only to contemplate who is the greatest among them. What is Jesus thinking about his group at this time? Does he question his teaching methods? The only suggestion from James and John is to call down fire to destroy the village. The call to discipleship is serious business. We may not meet Jesus on the outskirts of a Samaritan village but we will meet him somewhere in our world today. The challenge for the faith community today is to establish spiritual disciplines that are unique and meet the needs of each disciple. This seems to be a better way than to call down fire from heaven on those who disagree with us. |