Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“I will follow you wherever you go.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:57-62

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Have you made the decision to follow Christ no matter what he asks of you? I know your first answer is going to be yes. But, have you really made the decision to follow Christ unconditionally. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus’ disciples come to tell him that they want to follow him. But Jesus tells his disciples that following him is not going to be an easy task. He told one disciple, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” Following Jesus means giving up the things that make us comfortable. Our home is a place of warmth and comfort. A place that we feel safe. While we may not have to give up our home, Jesus is telling his disciples that they will have to give up things that prevent them from being fully committed to God. A second disciple tells Jesus, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father” and a third tells Jesus, “Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” These men want to follow Christ, but only on their terms and conditions. They still have things that are preventing them from being fully committed to Christ. Jesus says to these men, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” How can you plow a straight line if you are looking back to where you were and not where you are going? We are all called to follow Christ. When Christ calls, you must follow unconditionally. You must be willing to sacrifice. This calling is a gift from God which we must receive into our hearts. If your heart is too busy worrying about what you left behind, how can you focus on what needs to be done to build the Kingdom of God.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I will follow you.

Give me the strength to abandon those things which prevent me from following you.

Help me remove those obstacles which prevent me from moving forward with you.

I am your servant; all that I have is a gift from you.

These gifts I put before you so I can serve you according to your will.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon