I. Theme – Our relationship with God always comes at a price
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
First Reading – 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21
Psalm – Psalm 16
Epistle –Galatians 5:1,13-25
Gospel – Luke 9:51-62
Today we learn that our relationship with God always comes at a price. In 1 Kings, we hear the story of how God first called Elisha as Elijah’s successor. Paul urges the Galatians to use their spiritual freedom to live in the Spirit. Jesus teaches his disciples the cost of following him.
What a familiar response we hear to the call to discipleship in today’s stories. When Elijah anoints Elisha to be his successor, Elisha begs to return home first to say farewell to his family. Elijah grants him leave. This does not seem to be an unreasonable request.
By contrast, Jesus dismisses with blunt retorts the excuses to put off following him. Why does Jesus sound so irascible and demanding? Does he really require such total renunciation of all natural and material considerations of every would-be follower? We know that most of the time we can look on Jesus’ own life as a model for ours. And he had gone exactly to this extent to serve God. He had renounced home, family and worldly possessions, even to having “nowhere to lay his head.”
Perhaps this is one of the times we are justified in interpreting a New Testament scene in the light of its historical context. Jesus knew he was on his way to death in Jerusalem. He had just been refused even basic accommodations in a Samaritan village. His message and ministry had been met generally with rejection, apathy, controversy, misunderstanding and open opposition. Time was running out. He was faced with finding a band of followers whose dedication would be equal to the task of continuing his mission after he was gone.
Nothing but total detachment from normal life would qualify them for such an awesome calling. Jesus’ disciples needed to know the urgency and the primacy of the commitment. In the passage we have read today, Jesus was in the process of sorting out the ones who could meet the cost of discipleship at that particular time.
Such detachment is not a blanket assignment for all Christians. The Church is perpetuated largely by Christians who live normal lives involving family, home, work and participation in society in general.
Some are called to religious orders or into the mission field or work among the needy. They are called to follow Jesus’ example in renunciation of natural and material attachments in order to be totally consecrated to their mission. The Church has been richer and more inspired because of their commitment.
To those of us who are not called in such a way, the example of self-denial and self-discipline remains a vital factor of our discipleship. We still have to count the cost of following Jesus. We still have to make service to God our first priority and acknowledge God as our “good above all other.” However we choose to serve and follow the lord, it is the Spirit who enables us to do it. The Spirit does set us free from being overly concerned about our earthly ties and treasures. The whole law is fulfilled as we love our neighbors as ourselves.
We know that God keeps God’s end of the covenant, even when we go astray, even when we have willfully rejected God, God cannot reject us. It is our own rejecting of God that separates us, our own clinging to worldly ways and values that keeps us from following God’s ways of love and justice. It is this failure to leave worldly understandings that built up the walls between Jewish and Gentile believers in Paul’s day, and causes us to continue to keep walls and boundaries between others today. We are called to break down those walls by following Jesus, and we are called to leave those worldly values and understandings behind.
In the spirit of the passage from Galatians, God is moving through every aspect of our personal and congregational life, bringing all of the strands together in ways that promote wholeness individual, community, and planet. We need to let go of egocentrism and self-interest, to seek the well-being of our most vulnerable companions and to express God’s love in deed and word. Such actions are bold indeed; they will cost us something, but they will also bring us more than we can ask and imagine in blessings and power to heal the Earth. Grace enables us to become large-souled persons who see our own well-being and the well-being of others as intimately connected.
II. Summary
First Reading – 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21
The Books of Kings were written well after the events they describe by an author who had this intent: His main interest is in keeping his audience faithful to the Lord. So he tells the story of each of Israel’s kings, with emphasis on how the king was or was not faithful. "The faithful prosper; the unfaithful pay for their defections," as the Introduction to 1 Kings in The New American Bible explains. And when the author compares prophets to kings, the prophets are always the more faithful.
In the Track 2 readings, we follow the promises of God through God’s covenant with the people, and despite the people’s failings, God continues to renew the covenant in a new generation. The reading in 1 Kings this week compliments the reading from the first thread last week.
Today’s reading is another story from the Elijah collection (1 Kings 17–19, 21; 2 Kings 1). In his long conflict with King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who supported the worship of Baal, Elijah demonstrated that Yahweh was mightier than Baal but he had to flee the vengeance of Jezebel. Elijah is weary, feeling alone, and God has promised him he will not be alone. God is renewing the covenant by calling Elijah to anoint new kings and that God will save a remnant from those who have been condemned by their rejection of God. At Mount Horeb, Elijah receives a revelation of God’s majesty. He is also told to select Elisha as his successor.
Elijah indicates the choice of Elisha by throwing his own mantle, symbolic of his power and authority, over Elisha. Before following Elijah, Elisha marks the break between his old life and the new by bidding his parents goodbye and by offering his oxen as a sacrifice.
The gesture of draping one’s mantle over a disciple is interesting, meant to signify a sharing of one’s prophetic spirit. Later, when Elijah is drawn up to heaven, Elisha will retrieve his master’s cloak and make it his own (See 2 Kings 2:7-18.)
The dialogue between the prophet and his apprentice is a bit puzzling. Elijah’s testy question, "Have I done anything to you?" might mean "Hey, I’m not forcing you to be my follower. Make up your own mind."
Elijah, who in the previous passage had been complaining that he was alone, that he alone was zealous for God and all it had gotten him was persecution, now has a renewed sense of hope: God has not forgotten Elijah, and God has not forgotten the people. The theme is that the God of Israel is the God of the nations, and Elijah as the prophet of the Most High is the messenger of royal succession
The reading’s second part of the scripture (verses 19-21) is rich with symbolism – the twelve yoke of oxen (Israel and its tribes) and the mantle, which is thrown over Elisha. He leaves the oxen, displaying his love and loyalty to Elijah, but first rushes to kiss his father and mother, which is a reference to an earlier verse (18) “And I shall leave in Israel seven thousand, every knee that did not bow to Ba’al and every moth that did not kiss him.” Elisha is the faithful one, and leads a remnant (an idea that both Jeremiah and the Isaiahs will expand upon) in worship of God. The sacrifice of the oxen and the subsequent cooking of their flesh are reminiscent of a “communion sacrifice” common to the Temple. In it the people participate in Elisha’s commitment to his new vocation.
Psalm – Psalm 16
Psalm 16 sings of choosing to follow God, and that those who choose other gods follow false paths, paths of self-satisfaction that are short lived. Those who follow God have “a goodly heritage” (vs.6) and can know that God will lead them into the path of life, the “fullness of joy” (vs. 11).
This song of trust in God seems to be set in a context where some Israelites worship other gods (v. 4). The speaker may be a Levite (vv. 5-6) for, when the lands of Israel were parceled out by lots shaken in a cup, the Levites’ allotted inheritance was the cultic service of God. Though the psalm is one of supplication, the petition itself takes only one half of a verse (v. 1). The remainder of the prayer is a meditation on the reasons the psalmist can turn to God in this time of need. Some scholars believe this psalm to be written by a foreigner in Israel, who has put his faith in Israel’s God .
Epistle – Galatians 5:1,13-25
Background -Among the Christians in Galatia, some were teaching that, in order to be saved, Christians still had to keep the Jewish law, even to the point of being circumcised. Saint Paul argues forcefully that there should be no such requirement. That false obligation is the "yoke of slavery" in the first sentence of this reading. Paul disputes this, labeling the old law a yoke of slavery, and calling all Christians to obey a new, higher law of love in Christ. This is life in the Spirit, he says, as opposed to life in the flesh.
Now the old Jewish law was not a bad thing, but it promised more than it could ever deliver. Keeping the law could not save anyone. Salvation, Paul teaches, comes as an undeserved gift through Christ. We accept it by faith. That the Jewish law is out does not mean there is no law at all. The higher law of Christian love governs us now.
In today’s reading Paul looks at the practical, ethical implications of Christian freedom. This freedom is both a present reality, a gift the Christian has already received, and also a future goal, its fulfillment to be found in living it out.
Paul points out that Christian freedom requires being led by the Spirit. It is the opposite of both the Jewish law and non-Jewish license. Christian freedom leads to mutual service. God’s Holy Spirit is the source of the Christian activity that goes against our natural human tendencies (what Paul meant by “flesh”) to produce “fruits” in those who live and walk by the Spirit.
The reading contains Paul’s argument that Christ has set all free, and that in that freedom the commandment is to love one another, to love one’s neighbor as one’s self. By setting rules for others (such as the Judaizers were doing to the Gentile believers) they were not showing love, and were causing strife and anguish. When we live by the Spirit, we develop the fruit of the Spirit and we live in love with one another, as Jesus called us to do.
Paul juxtaposes the notion of freedom with the “discipline of the Spirit.” Implicit in his argument is also a juxtaposition of “flesh” and “spirit”. Living in the flesh means not just being ruled by one’s carnal desires. It also means trying to live by law alone, trying to keep the old law by one’s own moral strength. That is, using the resources only of one’s own flesh to control one’s own flesh and make oneself right with God. Paul is sure it won’t work; we’re not that strong morally; he has tried it himself. Only the Spirit can make us right with God. Good practices, even religious practices, that people attempt on their own, cannot make us right with God.
The argument is simple, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.” What follows are two lists, a list of vices that follow from “works of the flesh” and a list of virtues that flow from a life in the Spirit. The flesh leads to " fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these." By contrast, the life of the spirit provides " love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
In speaking of the “crucifixion of the flesh” he brings up the image of the crucified Christ as well. In following the Spirit, we like Christ, survive the death on the cross and are raised to a different kind of living.
Bruce Epperly writes about the implication of this passage
"Paul proclaims boldly the gospel of Christian freedom. He is asking his Galatian listeners the question, “What will you do if you know you can’t lose? What will you do now that the big issues of life – your relationship with God and ultimate destiny in God’s realm – are settled in your favor?” You are free, he proclaims, and true freedom involves boldly going against the world’s values and your own narrow self-interest; it involves living by love, self-control, care for the vulnerable, generosity, and sacrifice for a higher good. In awakening to grace and living by God’s vision, we open to the inspiration of the Spirit that leads us toward authentic joy and abundance. Grace enables us to become large-souled persons who see our own well-being and the well-being of others as intimately connected."
Gospel – Luke 9:51-62
Luke 9:51-62 contains two stories of those who follow or want to follow Jesus.
Today’s reading begins a large section of Luke’s gospel, the great travel narrative (9:51–18:14) telling of Jesus’ journey from Galilee through Samaria towards Jerusalem. Today’s selection, which is filled with explicit and implicit references to Elijah, continues to broaden the sense in which Jesus was perceived as a prophet.
It is the turning point of Luke’s account, where Jesus "resolutely set his face toward Jerusalem" and his destiny there. Luke packs the passage with explicit and symbolic statements about the costs of being Jesus’ disciple, in view of Jesus’ journey toward his death. To prepare us for hearing the gospel challenge, the church recalls the call to discipleship of Elisha.
The first passage describes Jesus’ trek through Samaria. The shortest, but also the more dangerous, way to journey from Galilee to Jerusalem in Judaea was through Samaria. The Samaritans, who were regarded by Jews as ethnically half-breed and religiously outcast, were often hostile to pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem. Samaria was the territory of the northern kingdom of Israel, where Elijah and Elisha had been active.
Being Galilean, they do not have family to stay with in Samaria, so they need to rely on the hospitality of strangers. Passing through is taken as an insult. But the refusal of the Samaritans to offer hospitality is in turn understood as an insult by Jesus’ followers. Jesus won’t stay with them. He will not become their personal ‘miracle man’ Jesus has another purpose. He will not simply do whatever they want him to do.
Jesus’ rejection by them harks back to his rejection at Nazareth at the beginning of his Galilean ministry (4:16) and looks forward to the passion. When the Samaritan village refuses to receive Jesus, the disciples James and John want to destroy the village with fire. (This harkens back to Elijah’s example (2 Kings 1:9-16) and allow them to call down fire upon the village). But Jesus rebukes them. Jesus is like Elijah but also someone more than Elijah. The requirements for following Jesus are more severe than for following Elijah. Violence is being set aside as a solution. The villagers have made their choice, and Jesus has made his choice–“his face was set toward Jerusalem” (vs. 53). Samaritans worshipped God in Samaria, not Jerusalem. However, there is no punishment or coercion.
The second part of ths passage is a collection of 3 events and teachings are not necessarily connected to each other – or to the previous incident. What they all have in common is the theme of "Follow me" and guidance. "
There are those who want to follow Jesus but are held back by other commitments. Jesus warns them that the commitment to follow Jesus as a disciple is not one to be made lightly.
Make sure that following me is what guides all that you do. Don’t put me aside to go bury your father; make following me guide you as you bury your father. Don’t put me aside as you say good-bye to your family; make following me guide you as say good-bye."
A Those who follow him will not have a resting place, a position to which they can resort; we are to launch continually into new ways of being Christian. But to follow Jesus, means to be on the road with no permanent home.
B. The duty to bury one’s father was part of obeying the commandment, "Honor your father and mother." Burying a parent (v. 59) was deemed important in Jewish culture, but proclaiming the good news must have priority (v. 60). We must answer a call to tell the good news immediately (v. 61).
C. A plow required constant attention; diverting one’s attention for a moment led to disaster. Jesus demands constancy and concentration in proclaiming his message; once committed to Christ, there is no going back.
The third encounter is unique to Luke and functions as a counter piece to the introductory story based on Elijah. For in 9:61-62 Luke is reminding us of Elijah’s call of Elisha (1 Kings 19:20). Elijah allowed Elisha to bid farewell to his folks. Not so Jesus! ). Jesus demands more of his followers than Elijah did.
This event comes after rejections – the transfiguration (9:28-36). Green (The Gospel of Luke) suggests that both the people in Nazareth and in the Samaritan villages "rebuff Jesus because they cannot accept his understanding and embodiment of the divine purpose" It is clear that he is heading towards Jerusalem. We know (and so did Luke’s readers) what will happen to him there.
So what does all of this say to us in our time:
1. Are we willing to follow a disciplined life for the sake of our own spiritual journey and for the good of our congregations?
2. Perhaps the image of putting one’s hand to the plow and not looking back refers to looking back both at all the very good things in our lives life but also all the sins in our lives, which have been forgiven by Christ. We can neither wallow in our past sins nor boast of our past successes if we are to be fit for the kingdom of God.
In both of these passages, there is a choice about following Jesus, and a choice about how one reacts. James and John wanted to react violently to the rejection of Jesus (probably because they did not fully understand who Jesus was as the Messiah, nor did they understand their role as disciples—these same disciples are caught up in the argument about who is the greatest later on). Jesus, however, reacts very differently. He simply leaves the Samaritan village and moves on. For those who want to follow him half-heartedly, he simply tells them that they do not understand what they are seeking, how great the commitment is, how much the cost of following Jesus will be, with their very lives.
There is a phrase from Jesus toward the end , "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." To bury one’s father was for Jews the most important of filial duties, but for the disciple-to-be such responsibilities must take second place.
Disposing of the physically dead may be left to those who are spiritually dead, those who do not choose to follow Jesus. Even permission such as that granted by Elijah to Elisha in the first reading is now withheld, for anyone who relaxes his concentration upon the path of the plough, by looking back to the past, will make a crooked furrow. There is no looking back, only a hand firmly on the plow. Elisha seems to be the model here .