Sunday Reflections
1.When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
As they 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.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God”(Lk9:51-62). Taken from today’s Sunday gospel for 13th Sunday of year C.
- Today’s gospel presents us with three people who wanted to become followers of Jesus but who did not want to lose their former advantages. One wanted to be assured of comfortable living, the other wanted to place his father before the mission and the third wanted to keep his former social ties. To these three Jesus passed the message that friendship with him normally involves a cost, a giving up of something precious: riches, comfort and relationship.
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The gospel shows Jesus as resolutely determined to go to Jerusalem and give up his life in obedience to the exigences of his friendship with his Father. He made effort to avoid any place, person or thing that could constitute an a obstacle to his accomplishing the will of his Father. Neither the Samaritans nor the sons of Zebedee could distract him from the journey.
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The attitude of full commitment of Jesus is the same that we find in the first reading of this Sunday where Elisha, a rich and successful farmer slaughtered his animals and settled his workers to commit himself totally to the mission of prophecy (1Kg19:19-21). These two personalities by their total commitment to their vocation called to question all christians today. What are the things that constitute obstacle to our full commitment to following Jesus? The answer is that many christians do not truly understand the benefits of having Jesus as their friends. In the 3rd chapter of his letter to the Philippians St. Paul openly declared that nothing can outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Jesus and his power to save. “I regard everything as a loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have let everything fall away and I now consider all as garbage, in order that I may gain Christ and be found with him.”(Phil 3:8-9).
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Many christians want to be friendly with Jesus without losing any of their previous advantages. They know that certain things in their lives are incompatible with friendship with Jesus but they want to gain both sides.
That is why a criminal will pray, fast and sing praises to God but still remain in his criminality, that is why people will remain in sinful relationship and still hold fast to their position in the Church instead of making a move to be in the right situation. If one reflects well, one will easily discover that whatever is keeping one off from full friendship with Jesus is nothing compared to the supreme benefits of having Jesus as friend.
A story was told of an old Nigerian woman who was taken to Europe by her daughter for medical checks. After few days she became restless and insisted that she must be taken back to her village even without finishing the medical checks. Upon serious inquiry it was discovered the she simply wanted to go and take care of her goat in village which in her calculation would son give birth. How much is the goat compared to her flight ticket and medical bills that she will prefer the goat to her health?
- Some christians are like this old woman. They are more interested in counting the cost of what they will lose by getting committed to Jesus than thinking of what they will gain by committing their lives to Jesus. Do not be like them. Whatever benefit you derive from living a compromised christian life will be nothing compared to your having a faithful friend like Jesus. Today is the day of salvation. Get committed to righteous living and enjoy the freedom of good conscience of a beloved child of God. ©Vita, 26/06/22.
Peace and security upon you.
anaehobiv@yahoo.com
