Today's Reflections
The Would-be Followers of Jesus
http://graceandspace.org
Mt 8:18-22
18When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. 19A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 21Another of [his] disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” 22But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
Reflection:
Teacher, I will follow you. Following Jesus is not easy. One must be free from coercion, false promises, ulterior motives, excuses, family duties. One must be ready for self-denial, self-discipline, sacrifices, hardships, ridicule, and rejection.
Jesus’ call in the Gospel involves a scribe and another disciple. One wants to follow Jesus, and the other is called but sets his condition. Jesus reminds the first to be serious about his decision, to count the cost, to realize the sacrifices, and not be carried away by fleeting emotions or mistaken notions of material reward. For the second, Jesus says that family ties and obligations are not valid excuses for compromising the call of God. God will take good care of the disciple’s loved ones. God will attend to those left behind on account of the divine call.
God’s works are urgent and necessary. God’s call for us to cooperate in his works demands immediate and active response. We should not postpone our decision and actions. When we do God’s work, we put our heart and mind into it. We give the best of ourselves to fulfill what God wants us to accomplish.
How much of myself have I invested in following the Lord?
Can I identify certain areas of my life
which limit my heart in giving
total dedication to the Lord’s mission?
No comments:
Post a Comment