When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 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.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
In the first half of this reading, Jesus has set his face - he has purposed - toward Jerusalem. This is to be his final trip to Jerusalem, the center of God's people, and the place of God's own house. He has set his face toward Jerusalem because he has to be killed there. He came to Earth to both live and die - two ways to give his life for mankind. His life has been lived dedicated to doing the will of God - healing, raising, blessing - to declare that God has come into the world and to show us how God would live if he were living among us. Which he was. Now, he will die. His death will not be just to die, but will be the culmination of a life lived in subjection to the will of God, just as all that has gone before has been. This death will declare that his faithfulness in life is of such depth and strength that he will let his creatures kill him without cause and will not protest against the injustice. His love for mankind will result in this full submission to the will of God. This cup will not pass and Jesus is on his way to drink it.
The second half of this lection tells of the need for his followers to be as faithful in their calling and lives as he has been in his. Once committing to follow Jesus; to return to God, faithfulness demands complete focus on his life, rather than competing interests. Worried about comfort? Don't come. Worried about other obligations? Don't come. If you come, don't look back. There is an interesting brace in this second half of our reading. It is this, ""Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."" Instead of burying the dead, proclaim the kingdom of God. Or, instead of caring for the dead, proclaim that Life has come into the world.
Not having a place to lay one's head when you've walked through Samaria to Jerusalem is problem enough. If you set your face in the same direction as Jesus's, there is the unstated assurance here that having joined with God, you will have whatever is needed for your task. You may not have a pillow or a comfortable life, but you will have whatever is needed to be a disciple - to do the work of God in the world.
This Lent be Jesus. Set your face toward your own negation and lose your life so that you might find it in Jerusalem, after having been faithful to and dying to yourself for the kingdom of God. This is serious business though. Once you start on this road, you can't look back, you can't be distracted toward other, lesser things. Don't return to death, but continue on to Life with God.
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 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.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
In the first half of this reading, Jesus has set his face - he has purposed - toward Jerusalem. This is to be his final trip to Jerusalem, the center of God's people, and the place of God's own house. He has set his face toward Jerusalem because he has to be killed there. He came to Earth to both live and die - two ways to give his life for mankind. His life has been lived dedicated to doing the will of God - healing, raising, blessing - to declare that God has come into the world and to show us how God would live if he were living among us. Which he was. Now, he will die. His death will not be just to die, but will be the culmination of a life lived in subjection to the will of God, just as all that has gone before has been. This death will declare that his faithfulness in life is of such depth and strength that he will let his creatures kill him without cause and will not protest against the injustice. His love for mankind will result in this full submission to the will of God. This cup will not pass and Jesus is on his way to drink it.
The second half of this lection tells of the need for his followers to be as faithful in their calling and lives as he has been in his. Once committing to follow Jesus; to return to God, faithfulness demands complete focus on his life, rather than competing interests. Worried about comfort? Don't come. Worried about other obligations? Don't come. If you come, don't look back. There is an interesting brace in this second half of our reading. It is this, ""Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."" Instead of burying the dead, proclaim the kingdom of God. Or, instead of caring for the dead, proclaim that Life has come into the world.
Not having a place to lay one's head when you've walked through Samaria to Jerusalem is problem enough. If you set your face in the same direction as Jesus's, there is the unstated assurance here that having joined with God, you will have whatever is needed for your task. You may not have a pillow or a comfortable life, but you will have whatever is needed to be a disciple - to do the work of God in the world.
This Lent be Jesus. Set your face toward your own negation and lose your life so that you might find it in Jerusalem, after having been faithful to and dying to yourself for the kingdom of God. This is serious business though. Once you start on this road, you can't look back, you can't be distracted toward other, lesser things. Don't return to death, but continue on to Life with God.
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