Ordinary Time - Week 13c
Follow me
(From Conversation with God, Fernandez Carvajal)In today's Gospel, Saint Luke tells us of three different men who have it in mind to follow Our Lord. The first approached Jesus as He and his friends are going up on what will be the last long journey to Jerusalem and Calvary. It seems that this new disciple is one who could scarcely be better disposed. I will follow you wherever you go, he tells the Master. At this sign of generosity, in order to make sure the newcomer knows what he is letting himself in for, Our Lord points out the kind of life he can expect if he genuinely wants to follow him. The mission of Christ is a constant coming and going, of preaching the gospel in season and out of season, and bringing salvation to all, and the disciple will be following one who himself has nowhere to lay his head. Such will be the life of all those who follow him. They will have to be detached from everything that might hold them back, and their dedication will necessarily have to be total.
The second would-be disciple is called directly by Our Lord. Follow me, He tells him. This potential disciple welcomes the invitation to follow the Master closely, but not right away. He thinks another time might be better as there is still some family business to be attended to. He doesn't realise that when God calls, the best time is now, notwithstanding the circumstances surrounding a vocation, for they might lead to an all-too-human rationalisation to find grounds for postponing one's dedication. God has higher plans for the disciple as well as for those who would apparently be disadvantaged by his leaving them. From all eternity, everything has been prepared by God so that his choice and his timing is for the good of all concerned. The answer to Christ's call must be prompt, cheerful and unconditional, and be instinctive with a spirit of detachment. When Jesus passes close to us we should not put off our dedication to him. If He passes by, perhaps we will not find him when we try later on to catch up. Our Lord goes on his way. It is a serious matter to succumb to the temptation to put things oft to procrastinate when Christ calls us.
Saint Luke alone mentions the third disciple. He wants to turn back and take his leave of the people at home. Perhaps, since it will be the last opportunity, he wants to spend a little more time with his family. He seems to have put his hand to the plough and quite sincerely to want to follow the Master. But Our Lord's call is always urgent. The harvest is great and the labourers few. Some harvests are lost because there is no one to gather them in. To temporise, to look back, to start putting conditions on our proposed commitment, all come to the same thing. Jesus tells this prospective disciple, once the hand is laid on the plough no one who looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.
The new task of the one who is called is compared to driving the Palestinian plough. It is an implement not easy to direct, particularly in the hard soil of the fields beside the Sea of Galilee. After having once gripped the handle of the plough there is no looking back. One cannot turn back when God calls. To be faithful, and happy as well, we must have our eyes fixed on Jesus. Once the event has started, the runner doesn't think of other things. His only concern is getting to the tape and winning the race. The ploughman has a fixed point towards which he directs the plough. If he looks back he cannot open up a straight furrow.