Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)

 Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 9:51-62]

26.06.2022

A Samaritan Village’s Rejection of Jesus and the Cost of Following Him

Readings: (1) 1 Kings 19:16.19-21 (2) Gal 5:1.13-18

1.  Theme in brief

      To count the cost of discipleship

2.  Focus Statement

Christian discipleship involves the hardest choices: willingness to show mercy on those who reject us; readiness to sacrifice our securities and family affections; working for God’s Kingdom with a sense of urgency; and firmly deciding to follow Jesus without turning back.

3.  Explanation of the text

Today’s gospel begins with Jesus’ firm resolve to go to Jerusalem in spite of knowing about the danger to his life. When he realized that the time was drawing near for him “to be taken up” (i.e. his exaltation at Ascension), he “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (9:51). The phrase "set his face" in Luke’s gospel indicates Jesus' single-minded resolve to fulfil his Father’s will at any cost, though he knew that this decision was going to be suicidal for him.

On his way to Jerusalem he wanted to halt in Samaria; hence he sent some messengers to find a place for him. (9:52). When the Samaritans refused to give place for him (9:53), his disciples (James and John) wanted to act impulsively and revengefully by commanding fire to come down from heaven and destroy them (9:54). When they expressed this retributive action to Jesus, he rebuked them (9:55) because they represented a punishing, cursing and revengeful God, whereas he represented an infinitely merciful and forgiving God. He wanted them to practise his teaching of non-retaliation against those who reject, instead of wishing a divine curse on them.

As they walked along, Jesus met three potential disciples who gave variety of reasons and excuses not to follow him. He used this occasion to speak about the cost or implications of discipleship in an exaggerated and seemingly harsh language – just to emphasize his demands from those who decided to follow him. Luke cites the following three cases of his would-be followers on whom he places these demands.

In the first case, a disciple willingly assured Jesus on his own that he would follow him wherever he would go (9:57). But most probably he was very calculative and looked for certainties and guarantees before taking up any task of God’s Kingdom. Jesus told him sternly that foxes and birds were better off because they had at least some security of their holes and nests; but he had no place where he could lay his head (9:58). From this answer it is clear that he wanted his followers to be prepared to face greater insecurity and uncertainty than foxes and birds (9:58). He wanted them to be totally dependent on God and absolutely available for his work. He also might have meant that discipleship involved a total trust in God when faced with rejection, as the Samaritans did to him according to this text.

In the second case, it was Jesus who took the initiative to call a person to follow him (9:59). The follower, instead of responding to the call when the opportunity came or when the need of following Jesus was very urgent, wanted to perform his filial duty to bury his father first. It is not clear whether his father had just expired and he wanted to conduct an honourable funeral for him before joining Jesus’ project, or it was a figurative way of speaking with this meaning:”Let my father die first; after his death, let me complete my filial obligation to bury him; then I shall be fully free to follow you” (9:59). If this is true, it could take indefinite number of years before he could make a final commitment.

Naturally, this symbolized an indefinite postponement. When a decision had to be made right at that particular time with all firmness and resoluteness, he wanted to postpone his decision. For him family came before Jesus and his values; but for Jesus just the opposite was the right course. He insisted on a sense of urgency, resoluteness and undivided loyalty to work for the Kingdom and not dilly-dallying. By saying, “let the dead bury their own dead” (9:60), Jesus might have alluded to his would-be followers who made such excuses as spiritually dead, becaue they make their duty to bury the physically dead an excuse to postpone indefinitely their decision to follow him. Once this filial duty to bury their parents is over they would find some other excuse for not committing their life to his cause, as it happens in many a case.

In the third case, the would-be disciple wanted to dodge an immediate decision to follow Jesus by making an excuse of his obligation to bid farewell to his family members (9:61). Jesus insisted that the urgency of the call of God’s Kingdom superseded to all other tasks and family obligations. Jesus opposed his tendency to postpone decisions by comparing his attitude with a farmer who always looked (turned) back while ploughing (thus making the furrows terribly crooked, 9:62). In all the three cases Jesus insisted that the demand of the Kingdom was so absolute that any follower had to give a higher priority to it over everything else. According to him no other distractions and worldly concerns should stand on the way of following him.

4.  Application to life 

Today’s gospel message calls for a renewal of our personal loyalty to Jesus and our commitment to his call to work for God’s Kingdom. Unlike the commercial advertisements, which promote their products and hide their defects, Jesus does not hide the hardest choices involved in discipleship. Humanly speaking, the absolute demands placed by him before those who want to follow him sound very unreasonable, such as not spending time in conducting a funeral for one’s own parent; not going to say goodbye to one’s family members before joining his project; and not looking back once a person begins to plough the field. They are not to be taken literally but with a sense of urgency and firmness. He is forthright about the cost and conditions of discipleship, namely – readiness to forgive those who oppose or reject us (as the Samaritans did to him) instead of punishing or condemning them; willingness to give up our security and to be freely and totally available for service of others; to consider the urgency of the call to work for God’s Kingdom without making excuses and postponements; and to sacrifice even family affections with resoluteness and single-minded dedication or devotion.

First of all, Jesus teaches that citizenship in God’s Kingdom does not mean greater power and higher position. It often brings rejection, sometimes by one’s own family, friends and neighbours, as the Samaritans did to him. By rebuking James and John for expressing their desire for revenge against or destruction of the Samaritans who rejected him, Jesus teaches an important lesson on tolerance. Modern world is heading towards more and more intolerance because of terrorist activities (sometimes wrongly linked to a particular religion), religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, large-scale immigration and the insecurity feelings generated by these factors. These factors create a fear complex leading to intolerant behaviour and action towards those who are unlike us in religion, race, ideology….. Jesus teaches us to accept and respect people who follow another religion, hold a different opinion from ours, belong to another race/ culture/  language/  caste/  tribe, not because we have no other choice, but because he wants his followers to love others with an inclusive heart.

In modern times our feelings of insecurity become more and more intensive day by day. There are so many who face insecurity in job places, or due to old age, poverty, war or threat to their lives. Surely Jesus does not wish we should suffer this sort of insecurity problem. What Jesus wants from his followers is that they should refrain from becoming too calculative and overcautious so as to look for absolute certainties and guarantees before taking up any work of justice and peace-building, social service or community task or leadership roles in the Church. Though we need to make very good plans in any field including service in the Church, there is still uncertainty whether our plans will materialize. Over-anxiety about the unknown future of our mission/ social involvement/ leadership roles/ service may take away from us all creativity and initiatives. One of the implications of the vow of obedience taken by the religious is their willingness to face the uncertainties involved in going to any new place to do God’s mission. In spite of specific terms in some of the appointments, there will be a lot of uncertainties.

Next, today’s message tells us not to postpone an important decision which has to be made right now with all firmness and resoluteness by saying: “Let me see”. The second potential follower of Jesus in today’s gospel wants to take care of his ageing father till his burial and later on follow him. He represents those who bury the burning issues which require immediate attention, decision and action, under the carpet or inside the files. Sometimes we need to take a radical step drastically. If we postpone, that opportunity may not come later. Sometimes we make so many excuses to take up any community service. We like to dodge our social and ecclesial obligations by making excuses and postponing decisions indefinitely due to fear of being disliked or criticized. We avoid firm decisions to escape from community obligations. In certain cases, we may just keep mum when we are supposed to speak for God and his values. We avoid taking any side by cultivating a culture of silence. We think that it is easier and safer not to make any firm commitment. Then we become like the man who made an understandable excuse to bury his father when he died. But after burying him, he must have got new and better excuses to avoid any commitment to God’s work.

There are people who deeply regret later the decision they made for life. For example, decision to marry so and so, to become a priest or join religious life, to take up a particular job or assume a particular leadership role and so on. They feel tempted to give up the fight and turn back. We observe the initial enthusiasm and zeal of those who are newly married, newly ordained as priests, newly professed as religious, or those who have newly joined an institution or an organization. As days and years pass by, their initial enthusiasm and motivation weakens. They are tempted to turn back after putting their hands on the plough when difficulties arise, when their expectations are not met, when the storms of modern secular values blow strongly, and weaknesses of those with whom they live and work with surface one by one. If we succumb to these temptations it is clear that our spiritual foundation is very weak or shaky. It shows that we do not take enough care to keep our original sense of commitment burning. Once we have decided to follow Jesus, we are to stand firm on certain principles without turning back even when there are a lot of social pressures. We may have to stick to these principles even at the cost of incurring displeasure of our own family members.

The same thing may happen in our struggle with habitual sins and bad habits. There is always a temptation to look back and feel regretful for the lost pleasures and selfish gains after giving them up once. Jesus invites all of us, once we have decided to follow him and have committed ourselves to a worthwhile cause, not to look back, come what may. Just as Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem when his time had come to do his Father’s will, so also he calls us today to set our mind and heart on our commitment to God’s Kingdom in whatever state of life we are in. Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem, not because it was convenient or compelling, but because he believed it was God's will for his life.  And, once determined to follow this course, he would allow nothing to stand in his way.

5.  Response to God's Word

To what extent we make excuses to escape any service in society or in the Church? Like the first follower mentioned in today’s gospel, do we become too calculative and overcautious so as to look for certainties and guarantees before taking up any common task or community service or leadership roles in the Church? Are we willing to run the risk of facing insecurities, uncertainties and rejection? Do we postpone an important decision when it has to be made right now with all firmness and resoluteness by saying, “Let me see.” As parents, do we avoid or indefinitely postpone correcting our children’s unacceptable behaviour to please them or by buckling under their pressure? What are we doing to recapture the original enthusiasm in married life/ religious life/ priesthood?

6.  A Prayer

Jesus our Master, today once again you remind us that as your followers we must be willing to give up our over-concern for security and be freely and totally available for service of others. You want us to consider the urgency of your call without making excuses and postponements, when a firm decision has to be made. You want us to sacrifice even family affections with resoluteness when it is needed for a greater cause. We regret for the times we became too calculative and overcautious and looked for absolute certainties and guarantees before taking up any task of for your Kingdom. We ask your grace and strength to remain your faithful disciples by following your demands of discipleship. Amen.