Pastor Tom
Johnson, June 30, 2013
It seems
like Jesus is making things more difficult for people to want to follow him.
Twice were told that Jesus’ face is set to go to Jerusalem. Jesus is focused on
the goal. And that goal was to confront the powers, sin, and death itself in
Jerusalem where he would be mocked, tried, crucified, and buried. That still
does not explain the difficulty of our two stories. What we are used to is
Jesus leading the charge to heal, teach, and proclaim the good news. Instead,
Jesus sends messengers ahead of him. They are supposed to prepare these
Samaritans to hear from Jesus himself. Jesus is not received nor given a warm
welcome. They snub the Messiah. They show contempt for the Son of God.
Did you
notice that Luke, the one who is writing this Gospel, makes an editorial
comment that it is Jesus’ fault…the Samaritans rejected Jesus “because his face
was set toward Jerusalem”? Perhaps that’s why James and John come to Jesus’
defense and suggest that Jesus nuke this village off the face of the earth:
“Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume
them?” Jesus rebukes them.
It is while
they are on their way to the next village that someone finally shows some
interest in Jesus. What a breath of fresh air to hear someone say, “Jesus, I
will follow you wherever you go.” And what does Jesus do? Does he welcome him
with wide arms and enthusiasm? No, he basically says that to be a follow of
Jesus means there is a good possibility that you will be homeless. Jesus then a
few others to follow him. And when one wants to give his father a dignified end
of life and burial…and another wants to say goodbye to his family, Jesus says
they are not fit because their face is not as set like flint as Jesus. They are
like a farmer plowing his field in a jagged and crooked line because instead of
focusing on a goal ahead, they are looking back.
These two
accounts—the first one, where Jesus fails to gain followers and the second,
where Jesus discourages people from following him—are better understood
together then they are separately. Jesus lays the path of discipleship before
us. And these two accounts give us the two extremes. Martin Luther used the
image of a path with ditches on either side to remind us that any good road is
raised up so that water will not erode the path. And so, from ancient times
digging ditches or trenches on either side of road made it more secure. I
believe Jesus is doing that in our Scripture. Jesus is challenging us to true
discipleship.
Just think
about all the contrasts there are between these two stories. In the first one,
Jesus sends messengers; in the second, the audience comes to him. Jesus is
first rejected by would-be followers and then discourages people from
following. Jesus’ disciples first go on ahead of him; and then they fall
behind. In the first account, James and John make the mistake of presuming
judgment; in the second, the inquirers make the mistake in presuming to be
called to be a disciple. In either instance, the call to follow Jesus is not an
easy one. These two extremes help point out the true path of Christian
discipleship. And it is really quite simple yet, not surprisingly, profound. Don’t
try to force the Kingdom on others; don’t try to force your way into the
Kingdom. Don’t judge others; don’t overestimate yourself. Don’t hate people who
don’t share your point of view; don’t have an unhealthy love for the world.
Don’t be arrogant and play God; don’t be naïve. Don’t get too far ahead of
Jesus; do not lag too far behind. There is a tension in our Christian journey;
and that tension will never go away. There is a tension between our love for
the things and people of this world and our love for God. There is tension
between an internal, personal call to speak on God’s behalf; and there is that
outward, objective call that we receive. There is disappointment when people
disregard the Kingdom; there is joy in witnessing Kingdom transformation. Following
Jesus can often be uncomfortable; but true comfort does not come from beds and
pillows but from the grace and mercy of Christ. Being a disciple of Jesus means
that we are not only agents, but also objects, of Kingdom transformation.
What is the
answer then? Stick close to Jesus. Like ducklings with their mama duck, don’t try to get too far ahead; don’t lag
too far behind. And like Jesus, set your face to Jerusalem. As we plow ahead in
this life, keep your focus on what will happen on that holy hill, Mt. Zion. Jesus
confronts the power of sin, death, and the devil there. He proclaims
forgiveness while lifted up on the cross of Calvary. He proclaims eternal life
as he steps out of the grave. In the meantime, Jesus does not want us to get
too far ahead or lag too far behind. Nor does he want us straying into either
ditch. He wants us by his side. He wants us to walk together. He is there to
lead and guide us as the Good Shepherd.
No comments:
Post a Comment