Yes! Absolutely!..But first...
(Free Version)- 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62
Ordinary Time has two “Tracks” for the first (Old Testament) reading. “Track 1” follows one of the great narrative arcs of scripture. This year, we hear stories of Israel’s kings, and also from the minor prophets. “Track 2” is more thematic, directly tied in some way to the gospel reading. Three years ago, we walked down Track 1. This year, we will do Track 2. If you are looking for Track 1, you can find the longer version and the short version here.
Each of our readings this week speak to the urgency of discipleship. God is always unsettling us in the comforts we have created for ourselves. However, we must remember that this is always for our good. The prophetic critique of the prophets and the call of Elijah, the challenge of Paul to the Galatians, and Jesus’ harsh words to the prospective disciples all emerge from God’s heart to lead us into what it means to be fully human.
Our first reading (Track 2, 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21) recounts when Elijah was first called to “anoint” two kings and a prophetic successor.
Elisha, in his receiving the mantle to help end Israel's counterfeit worship of Baal, represents something new, which is still rooted in Israel’s ancient story. His twelve yoke of oxen may represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and his plowing may represent the cultivating of a new, remnant Israel.
Elijah throws his mantle/cloak over Elisha indicating that Elisha will carry the role of the LORD’s prophet. Immediately, Elisha leaves his oxen to follow Elijah. Still, he kisses and says goodbye to his family as he moves forward into God’s future. His new role is total and will require his whole self. This is why he kills two oxen and burns the yoke to cook them. He no longer needs them. Elisha then turns the oxen and the yoke into a feast whereby his family celebrates that God is doing something new in and through Elisha.
Elijah and Elisha represent the prophetic challenge to the status quo, a reminder of Israel’s identity as God’s people. The message of Galatians 5:1, 13-25 does something very similar. In an early church context where many define themselves by cultural affiliation and practices, by who has the right pedigree, by categories which provide a a certain level of comfort (I am an “insider,” which means that you are an “outsider), Paul reminds the church that such defining works are more than useless, they are harmful and cause the church to devour one another!
The “works of the flesh” are things which do not look like Christ and lead to destruction: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.
We need something altogether different. Not works of the flesh (which allow us to be in control) but fruit of the Spirit which grows organically. This fruit is not measurable, but you know it when you see it. This fruit looks like Jesus and is always others-oriented. Paul spells it out: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
In our gospel reading (Luke 9:51-62), Jesus challenges the idols of power, material possessions, security and family in his prospective disciples. Jesus is able to see their motivations. Each of them want to follow him, but he turns them away sensing that they do not get it. His words call us to an often difficult re-orientation of our lives.
After Jesus is rejected in Samaria, James and John want to call down fire from heaven to consume the village. Jesus rebukes them. We, the church, are not to be motivated by power or revenge. To state the obvious: we often forget this. The Church is always called as a counter-society, not seeking power, but laying our life down for the world. Because of this, there is no tangible benefit to being part of the Church. Though some may experience a sense of peace, connection to community, or encouragement, this is not the point. We are not called as Christians because of a superficial benefit, but because the way of Jesus is the way we were created to be, the way of being fully human.
When the first guy says he will follow Jesus wherever he goes, Jesus seems to sense that this man is not prepared to give up his previous life. Jesus says, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Just as disciples must not seek power, we must also not seek comfort or the accumulation of possessions. The way of Jesus is not “Seven Steps” to anything! Only in Christ do we have a proper understanding of how to steward what he has given us. We hold our possessions loosely.
Jesus calls out to the second guy: “Follow me,” but the man first wants to bury his father. While this seems like a reasonable request, Jesus seems to intuit that the man is more concerned with his security than his discipleship. Disciples are called to let go of the idol of security. There are Christians in the world who will gather this Sunday under threat of persecution, and we are not even promised the next day. Jesus promised that we will have trouble in the world, but that he has overcome the world (John 16:32-33). There is a better way than the idol of security.
Out of all of the prospective disciples, the third guy’s request seems the most understandable! He just wants to say goodbye to his family. Jesus seems to think this request betrays a grasping on to his family. It is a good thing to want to be a good parent, spouse, or sibling. But even our families must not be the center of our lives. This is precisely because of God’s love for us and our families. In Christ, we understand self-sacrificial love, grace for difficult times, and true forgiveness, all which are essential in family life. Being a Christian provides a new (and often alien) center for family life.
If the Church is not bound together by power, stuff, security, or nuclear family, what does bind us together? The one who has created and redeems the world, and who is making all things new. The church is bound together by our trust in Jesus Christ. We are called to yield to what he does. No conditions. No “But, first, I must…” Each of our readings are jarring and call the hearers to reflect the ways in which our lives are inside out and upside down. Still, we must remember that God calls us because he only desires our ultimate good, and the ultimate good of his world.