[The call of Elisha is the origin of the expression that the mantle of so and so falls on another. When Elijah cast his cloak over Elisha, h was claiming him as his own – he also endowed him with his own power and personality. Watch out in St. Paul’s letters where he says that we have clothed ourselves in Christ – same idea]
The Lord said to Elijah: Go, you are to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of
Abel Meholah, as prophet to succeed you.
Leaving there, Elijah came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing
behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah
passed near to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left his oxen
and ran after Elijah. Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will
follow you he said. Elijah answered, Go, go back; for have I done
anything to you? Elisha turned away, took the pair of oxen and
slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then gave to
his men, who ate. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his
servant.
[St Paul was against a rigid religious system. Christ set him free from all that. He is now bound by the law of love]
When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore,
and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful,
or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one
another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is
summarised in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you
go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had
better watch or you will destroy the whole community.
Let me put it like this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will be in
no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the
opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and
it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always
carry out your good intentions. If you are led by the Spirit no law can
touch you.
[We went out of sequence last week celebrating the birth of John the Baptist. In the normal Gospel (last week would have been the 12th Sunday!) Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah of God. We heard that discipleship meant taking up a daily cross. Today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus resolutely took the road to Jerusalem (and passion, death) and we hear that following Jesus is not to be taken lightly, it means making sacrifices]
As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely
took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set
out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for
him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for
Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, 'Lord, do you
want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?' But he turned
and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.
As they travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, 'I
will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus answered, 'Foxes have holes and
the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
his head.'
Another to whom he said, 'Follow me,' replied, 'Let me go and bury my
father first.' But he answered, 'Leave the dead to bury their dead; your
duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.'
Another said, 'I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say
good-bye to my people at home.' Jesus said to him, 'Once the hand is
laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of
God.'
A
1. What word or phrase stands out for you? Why?
2. With whom in the readings do you most identify? Why
3. Do you feel attracted to anything in today’s readings? Do you feel
resistant to anything? Do you know why?
4. In what way do these readings affirm you?
5. In what way do these readings challenge you?
6. What can you do to respond to this challenge?
B
1. When in your life have you been called to change direction (put your
hand on a different ‘plough’) because of your desire to be a follower of
Jesus?
2. What does it mean in your everyday life to be a follower of Jesus?
3. When have you faltered or looked back during your journey of faith?
4. How do you react when someone criticises you or is hostile to you?
(James & John, Jesus and Samaritans)
5. Any thought from readings you would like to bring up
6. Anything going on in the world today that the gospel sheds light on?
This gospel seems a mixture of different little episodes, but is
connected with last week’s suffering messiah and discipleship. Jesus
answered a call that took him away from home surroundings and family in
Nazareth. He says that those who are important are the ones who hear the
word of God - new family connected with the mission.
He leaves Galilee and turns towards Jerusalem. The beginning of that
journey is the turning point in Luke’s gospel. Jesus has started down
the road that will lead to the ultimate challenge of his mission: the
cross. If Jesus is to be faithful to his mission he cannot turn back. It
is in this context of journey to Jerusalem Luke shows how he faces a
number of questions.
1 The inhospitality of the Samaritans. Why should they be gracious to a
group of Jews going to Jerusalem? Keep moving he tells James and John
and don’t be distracted from ultimate goal. [Jerusalem.]
2 He meets 3 people
1. Following an itinerant (Jesus) means having nowhere to lay your head.
And inhospitality/ being not wanted is going to be a problem.
Persons 2/3. Want to follow but have prior claims – to bury father and
say goodbye. Both are very important, but Jesus is seen to say no. There
is a dramatic urgency in Jesus challenge: loyalty to family or loyalty
to mission
All of this seems very harsh. Luke is presenting the radical
requirements of following Jesus. Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem
and Luke highlights the conflicts that both master and disciple face. We
must be single minded in our commitment because we all must face our own
road to Jerusalem. We need courage to keep going
When Jesus arrives at the end we see cross looming and he prays to
continue (in the Garden of Gethsemane). He is tempted to give up and
return to security of Galilee, but he hangs in there - and the journey
he begins today is seen as a journey that we have to take. It is not a
journey plotted on a map - going somewhere. It is an inward journey
plotted out through experience and our pilgrimage through life. . It is
a journey to God in the footsteps of Christ.
[We are normally more familiar with Matthew’s version of this story where Jesus goes on to say; You are Peter and on this rock…. Here Jesus is about to go to Jerusalem and suffering and once recognised as Messiah, teaches his disciples that he is not a political king, but suffering messiah]
One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he
put this question to them, 'Who do the crowds say I am?' And they
answered, 'John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the
ancient prophets come back to life.' 'But you,’he said,’ who do you, say
I am?' It was Peter who spoke up. 'The Christ of God,' he said. But he
gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this.
'The Son of Man', he said, 'is destined to suffer grievously, to be
rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to
death, and to be raised up on the third day.' Then to all he said, 'If
anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take
up his cross every day and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his
life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man
will save it.'
• Pray about those times when you have prepared the way for God to enter
others’ lives.
• Pray that you may be open and receptive to the paths on which God is leading
you.
• What does it mean today to be “fit for the kingdom of God,” as you reflect on
your journey with Christ?