Gospel LK 9:57-62
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Reflection:
Jesus responds to three men who claim they want to follow Him. There is a lesson in each of his responses.
The first man says, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus replies, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
In other words, Jesus is telling him to be careful what he promises; to follow Jesus is not a guarantee of an easy life. Following in Jesus’ footsteps may bring many trials and hardships.
To the second man, Jesus says, “Follow me.” The man replies, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” Jesus replies, “Let the dead bury the dead.”
Jesus is making it clear that when we commit to following the Lord, nothing must come in the way. Our commitment to Jesus Christ must come before all things.
The third man states, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus replies, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
The truth is that when we set a goal, we must keep our eyes forward on the prize. No farmer ever plowed a straight furrow by looking behind. He sets his eye on a point in the distance and makes his way to it without looking to the left or right. When serving Jesus, we must keep our eyes forward and leave the past to the past.
“There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to doing something, you accept no excuses only results.” – – Kenneth Blanchard