Lectionary for Sept 29. # 457...regular readings for the day not feast

Scripture: Lectionary 457. Job 9:1-2, 14-16. Psalm 88:10-11,12-13, 14-14-5.
Luke 9:57-62:

Discipleship is one of the major themes of the Gospels. Perhaps, the
synoptics are more intense about it than John who develops friendship with
Jesus through agape love as the theme for union with Christ. He goes beyond
discipleship by speaking about friendship and intimacy with Jesus
especially in chapters 13-17 before the Passion Narrative. Discipleship
involves learning and following; friendship is more a commitment of the
heart to a person who is deeply loved. Luke however is the Evangelist who
makes us all learners and disciples through his long journey narrative from
9:51-19:44.

Jesus has faced Jerusalem with a look of steel and now he is moving toward
the holy city where he will eventually be condemned to death on a cross by
Pontius Pilate, a Roman. Our scene for today has the disciples following
Jesus at the beginning of the journey. Others seem interested in doing
this too and they approach Jesus with their individual concerns about
whether they should really follow him. Jesus is explaining to his own
followers the cost of discipleship and uses the three enquiries as a
teaching moment on discipleship. The first person is made to realize that
he will have to leave his property and home. Jesus and his disciples have
no place to rest their heads except in the open fields of Galilee. The
second person needs to bury a dead person, but Jesus says leave that to
others, but if you wish to follow me, then let the dead bury the dead!
This means that even attachments to the person who died and the family that
lost that person through death should not prevent someone from following
Jesus who asks this of him or her. The third person continues with the
attachment to family and friends, but Jesus is calling this one to follow
him for the sake of the kingdom, that is, to follow Jesus and return to
God. Discipleship calls for a purifying of relationships and not being
bound by them psychologically or physically. The cost is immense and few
are called to do it as we see in this passage.

Fr. Karris. O.F.M. states, "...discipleship is a solemn commitment whcih
forces the disciples-to-be to reorder all their other duties and
obligations. The sharpness of Jesus' sayings jars the readers into weighing
most seriously their desire to follow Jesus on his way." Amen.