Follow

Charlotte Collins Reed

Christ Church Episcopal

June 30, 2019

8 Proper C

          When I was in London earlier this month on my continuing education adventure, my classmates and I spent a lot of time navigating the tube, or the underground, more commonly known here as the subway.  I confess that the tube terrifies me.  Getting lost above ground where I can see street names and landmarks, and there are Ubers and taxis is one thing.  Getting lost below ground is something else entirely.  Traveling underground is totally counter intuitive to me and I have no idea how to get from one place to another.

          However, I learned about a great app for my phone called city mapper.  This app takes all the guess work out of traveling by the underground.  The app automatically knew where I was, so all I had to do was put in my destination.  The app would guide me to the correct entry point, get me on the right train, and tell me where and how to change or get off.  Suddenly the tube was far less terrifying, and I could get where I wanted to go, step by step. 

          If only there was such an app for following Jesus so we would know exactly how to follow Jesus in any given situation.  Today’s gospel reading seems to be a lesson in how not to follow Jesus.  Apparently, disciples of Jesus do not get to use their spiritual power to command fire to come down and consume those who do not offer hospitality to Jesus or themselves.  James and John want to try that this morning when Jesus is rejected in Samaria.  Jesus, who had not too many chapters ago taught his disciples that they should love their enemies and do good to those who hurt them, does not find the disciples’ offer amusing.  Jesus rebukes the disciples which is something Jesus generally reserves for unclean spirits.  Next, someone runs up to Jesus and says “I will follow you where ever you go!”  This sounds a bit like Elisha this morning who insists that he will not leave Elijah, even when Elijah offers him the opportunity to stay put while Elijah faces whatever is ahead.  Twice Elisha says “As the Lord lives and as I live, I will not leave you.  And Elijah does not argue.

          But what does Jesus says to the person who wants to follow him? “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."  What does that even mean?  I have no idea whether Jesus is saying “yes” or “no” to the man.  So are we to offer to follow Jesus or not?

Then Jesus calls someone to follow him, but that person wants to bury his father first, which seems quite faithful to me.  “Honor your father and mother” is one of the 10 commandments, after all.  Leaving the dead to bury the dead seems to be both heartless and in violation of that commandment.  So, are followers of Jesus to follow the 10 commandments or abandon them?  Another person offers to follow Jesus, but only after saying good-bye to those at home.  Clearly the person realizes that following Jesus means going where Jesus is going, or there would be no need to say good bye.  Soon, Jesus will encounter a lawyer who will ask Jesus how to inherit eternal life.  Jesus will ask the lawyer “What is written in the Law” and the lawyer will respond with the summary of the law “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself”  (Luke 10:27) which Jesus will indicate is correct.  Is not saying good bye to those you love before heading out on an unknown mission part of loving your neighbor as yourself?  Apparently not, according to Jesus who replies “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."  Ouch!

          So, how are we to follow Jesus when Jesus himself makes discipleship complicated at best and at worst, impossible?  Where is that Jesus app when we need it?

          Perhaps there is a clue for us in the reading from Galatians where Paul describes the Christian life as a life of freedom.  “For freedom Christ has set us free.”  Paul makes clear that what we are freed from in Christ is bondage to the negative forces that can consume us and in which we can get lost-such as jealousy, anger, quarrels, envy, idolatry, and on and on.  We are freed in Christ to find our way as followers of Jesus by opening ourselves to the gifts of the Spirit, which are the liberating gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.   There may not be a city mapper app for navigating the Christian life, but Paul gives us pretty clear directions here.  When we wonder how to navigate a particular situation as a follower of Jesus, the gifts of the Spirit may not tell us exactly what to do, step by step, but they do give us some direction and keep us from losing our way. Whether we are thinking about our own families, or our neighborhoods and community, or the pressing and very urgent problems of our national life, I believe Jesus calls us to filter our actions as his disciples through the gifts of the Spirit and use those gifts to guide our discipleship.  Imagine what the world would be like if all who call ourselves followers of Jesus lived our lives according to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  We can only start with ourselves.  Jesus calls us to follow him by keeping our hand on the plow of love and our eye on making this world a bit more like the Kingdom of God. 

                                                                             Amen.