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06.06.2010_The Price of Discipleship
| 29.07.2010, 09:30 | |
| Rev. Tatiana Cantarella Psalm 77:1, 1-20; 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; Ephesians 5:1–10 Luke 9:51-62 The Price of Discipleship Our Gospel for today says that Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem”. The expression "to set one’s face” meant to convey a strong decision, especially in the face of difficulties. These words mark the appearance of the cross in the background of Luke’s gospel, the cross that is awaiting for Jesus. The journey will neither be quick nor easy and ten chapters of Luke will describe it (and we will read through them in the next few months). This journey asked of Jesus to dedicate himself to opposition and even death for the sake of those whom he came to save. And he "resolved” to go to Jerusalem whatever that might mean for him. We all have seen people who "resolved” to do something. Their resolution is evident in their eyes, in their voice and posture and it is this resolve that Luke wants us to see in Jesus. But in his story of Jesus’ commitment to follow his way for the salvation of humanity, Luke is also inviting us, Jesus’ followers to "resolve to follow Him with the same неуклонностью", to follow Him on the journey which we started, a journey of life, learning, growth and service. Any journey requires making decisions. You, probably, decided already for this summer – or someone decided for you! The time and the money do not allow most of us to do what we would have liked to do. Sometimes we can combine things – go visit our grandmother in the countryside and on the way visit a beautiful site which we always wanted to see. But sometimes we have to choose: to go visit my family in the Far East or his family in the West and we cannot choose both. The journey often demands from us a decisive choice. The same is true of our Christian journey which calls for a choice and the decisiveness to remain faithful to that choice to the end. Three dialogues that we read today as part of the gospel story also talk about choice. But let me note that for Christians the choice is not always a clear cut decision between black and white. We ourselves disservice when we set our Christian life only against "bad, sinful decisions”. Even preachers sometimes create such unrealistic picture when on the one side there is a happy, pure and glorious Christian life and on the other a life of drunkenness, gambling and immorality… and everyone, of course, chooses Christianity! But to be honest, people often struggle trying to choose not between obvious good and obvious evil. Most people that I know (and you and I are in their midst at well) struggle with something else. Our faith often challenges us when we thing that we are alright. It is then our Christian belief challenges us to choose against what is good by human wisdom, understanding and feeling. Scriptures remind us today that "good” that we find around us is the worst enemy of "the best”, the divine will for our lives. It is before a choice between what is good in human eyes and what is best in the eyes of God that we often stand. It is such choice that takes place in the three dialogues that we read in the Gospel today. The story begins with Jesus decision to go to Jerusalem through Samaria and sends his disciples to prepare the place for his visit. It was the shortest way to Jerusalem but the Jews preferred to take a longer rout just to avoid going through Samaria. It had to do with the old enmity between them for Jews considered Samaritans as having fallen away from their God and would not have anything to do with these unclean people. But Jesus decided to go through Samaria not only because it was shorter but because his journey to the cross led him through such places, so that the Good News of God could be heard everywhere. I doubt that His disciple were happy to be sent there and when they encountered resistance they were probably glad – now they had a good reason to go around this place and they hurry to tell Jesus: "see, we should have nothing to do with these sinners… they deserve only judgment. Let’s call upon the power of God as Elijah once did against his enemies and burned them?” Jesus’ disciples having been with his for a while, are still too ready to get off HIS way and always find seemingly "good reasons” for it, they still view following Him as an opportunity to possess and use God’s power for their own ends. But Jesus has "set His face to go to Jerusalem”, not for His own good but for theirs and to accomplish it he is ready to meet any opposition and difficulties. The resolve of those who desires to follow Jesus is to be as strong and that’s what Jesus is trying to teach us through these three dialogues. In order to get a better understanding of these conversations and how they reflect our lives, we need to realize that they took place 2000 years ago in a culture and language different from our own. There is more to these stories that we first notice, but scholars and travelers who understand Palestine culture well can help us see what we often miss in this story. Let’s look at the first dialogue. Someone expresses a desire to join Jesus’ following. From the first sight his words seems to express decisiveness and commitment, "I will follow You wherever you go”. Perhaps he imagined following Jesus as one used to follow the rabbi. People followed teachers, listened to them, watched them and preferably subjected to them. But what this man doesn’t realize is that following Jesus is following the Messiah. And even that, for most people in 1 century Palestine the idea of Messiah hardly included suffering, rejection and crucifixion. The view of this man who volunteered to follow Jesus is limited but while Jesus does not reject this man, He tries to show him what following Him will really mean. Comparing Himself to foxes and birds Jesus stresses the "uncertainty” that awaits His and those who want to follow Him on the way; he stresses that even those God’s creatures have more certainty to their existence than He does. But it is also possible that Jesus says something more. Nations often use animals and birds as their symbol. The eagle for the US, (as well as for Russia, except that Russian eagle has a split personality ☺, that is two heads), the lion for England, the dragon for China. In the first century Israel, gentile nations and particularly Rome were called "the birds of the air”, and the Ammonites – foxes. Now listen again to Jesus’ words: "even foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head". In other words, there is place in Israel for anybody but Israel Himself. Kings, lords (gentile) and their subjects have palaces but God’s Anointed One has nothing. Jesus tells the one desiring to follow Him: in this country where there is no room for God’s Messiah, where one cannot rise against those with power, do you really want to join the opposition? It’s a good question and we begin to understand what Jesus is trying to say: "To follow Me is not a comfortable, nice walk with a respectful teacher but a life of opposition to the world.” Listen to the second dialogue with the man that Jesus called to follow Him. "Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” What do you hear in these words? Most contemporary readers understand that the father of this person just died and he is asking for Jesus to give him some time off, so he can pay his respects and bury the father as it was expected of children. But Jesus says "no”, says it so harshly it seems. Yet, those who know the Near Eastern culture understand that if this man’s father just died, he would be with the mourning crowed instead of chasing some itinerant preacher on dusty roads. Expression "to bury one’s father” has deep roots and means a sacred responsibility to remain in the family until the parent are buried. This could mean years and even decades. The responsibility of the children before their parents in the Israelite society was considered the highest priority and to fulfill it, one could get permission to set aside even his religious duties. This person is trying to set the call of Jesus to follow Him with the expectations of society and has the perfect excuse of why he will follow but later. "Jesus, my society and family have certain expectations on me. And what my people think of me is very importantI will follow you but first, let me fulfill my social duties. Surely You do not expect that I will go against their expectations." And Jesus responds, "But that’s exactly what I expect”. To follow Jesus means choosing first of all what belongs to the Kingdom of God. Following Christ means placing what is first in the eyes of God before our loyalties to human traditions. This means that God’s opinion about us, about life, about what is right, about what is valuable, what is a priority should be more important for us than that of people. And in the third situation we see another volunteer to follow Jesus. He comes with what seemed to be an appropriate request – to go say good-by to his family. The Russian translation gives us a bit more insight into what is happening we can almost hear the man wanting to go ask permission to leave. There is a difference. In the Near East the one leaving always asks for permission to do so, and the one staying says "go with peace”. Rimma Ivanovna when she worked at the church, before going home each day, used to come into my office and tell me something like, "with your permission…” and I used to say, "go with peace”. She didn’t need my permission but that was her way of saying good-by. But between parents and children of that time it was not a mere formality, it really was a request for a blessing, a confession of parent’s authority over them and their dependence from them. Children could loose their family and home, be ostracized by their own if the parent rule against their new commitments. It is easy for us to agree to something when we know that the one above will not let us do it anyway. And we use it, "I would really love to but have to ask…” and depending on the request it could be our spouse, or our boss or someone else. For over 1000 years the Arab translation of the Bible says in this verse, "Let me go and explain myself to my family”. In essence the question here is "does Jesus really claim greater authority than my own parents?” Arab Bible Students still get uncomfortable reading these verses for that’s exactly what Jesus is saying here – there is no authority higher than Mine! Teacher-disciple relationships that Jesus talks about are not just attending lectures, listening to wisdom but a life long commitment, deep and constant relationships that change both the teacher and the disciples. It is to such relationship that Jesus calls us. We have seen here three potential disciples of Christ and faced three burning questions. We do not know what these people responded to Jesus. But it is not of importance. What is more important is what our response will be to these three truths. 1) The price of following Christ is high: following Him even when that will mean giving up what the world (and we also ) is accustomed to value and (security and prosperity). 2) Following Jesus means that there won’t be a higher authority for us that His authority. No matter how old, good, respectable or useful might be the demands of our society, if they come in conflict with the demands of Jesus – they are unacceptable. Are we ready to choose Jesus’ demands even if people might not understand and even possibly judge us? 3) Jesus will not allow any voice sound stronger than God’s voice. Following Him means not only following some inner light or intellectual enlightening but a hard, constructive and overtaking task, like the one of plowing the field – are we ready for such commitment? Jesus is not harsh or unrealistic in this story. He is honest and clear setting out the demands and the price of following Him, the task that we often take too carelessly. He calls us to choose the best (the things of God) and not only what is good according to human standards. He chose the way of the cross that lead Him to Jerusalem for our sake and we can only follow Him on the same way. If Jesus was saying to you today: "Follow Me”, what would your dialogue with Him would be? Do you understand what following Him implies and costs? Is He your highest authority in life? Does His voice sound clearer than others in your life? Let’s pray. | |
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