by Orlando Hernandez

In this Wednesday’s Gospel (Lk 9: 57-62), Jesus is quoted as making some statements that have confounded me for years. Our Lord seemed to me so confusing, unwelcoming, even petulant :

“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.’ “

The internet is full of interpretations of Jesus’ first statement. For example: Jesus, the “head” of the “Body of Christ”, had no place where to rest yet. His church was to come. Another interpretation : In order to follow Jesus you have to leave the comfort of belonging to powerful institutions, like the kingdom of Herod (“that fox”), or the soaring eagles (“birds of the sky”) of the Roman Empire, and become totally powerless, vulnerable, poor, and homeless, like Jesus. On the cross there is no place to rest our heads.
Even more disturbing to me was Jesus’ call to leave our family behind. The second man begs Jesus to let him stay with his parents until they die and are buried. The third would-be-follower wants to get a chance to say goodby to those he loves. But Jesus reminds them of the urgency of doing the work of the Kingdom as soon as possible, without taking a detour or looking back.
I guess these three persons did not see beyond their first impulse to follow Jesus when they were so impressed by meeting Him. Being His disciples back then meant literally leaving everything right then and there, and following Him up to Jerusalem, where He was headed, to His Passion. They were not ready to do that.
But what do these three statements mean to me? I look at my small but pretty house, in the light of the morning sun, and I feel such gratitude to Him. And yet gradually, day by day, the walls and furniture seem more transparent, illusive, unimportant, in the light of His Spirit, present there every day, Master of my home, not me! So I go out to my true home, His vast Creation, His people in need, His Temple, where I can lay my head in His shoulder, by His mercy and grace.
As for burying my parents, He not only allowed me the sad, luminous, blessing of doing this, He came with me. He consoled me in my terrible sorrow. He spoke through me as I proclaimed my trust in Him, in the chance for spiritual life, not death, for my parents, for all of us, at each grave side. This last Monday, our President spoke eloquently and compassionately about the relatives and victims of the Las Vegas tragedy. He quoted verse 19, of Psalm 34: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted , saves those whose spirit is crushed.”
Our Suffering Servant is always close to us, so close. If we choose to follow Him, we realize that He is the One who follows us, walks by our sides, heals us, repairs us, keeps us going on that furrow as we plow our way through life. How can I look back when He waits for all of us at the end? There He is, so beautiful!
Through my sadness, my weakness, my doubt, my consolation is to praise Your name, even as I see You, our country, our world, up on that Cross, and beyond: Resurrection !
Like the song (by Jamie Harvill) says:
Make these broken weary bones
Rise to dance again
Wet this dry and thirsty land with a river
Lord our eyes are fixed on You
We are waiting for Your garland of grace
As we praise Your name
Hallelujah sing Hallelujah
We trade our sorrows
For garments of praise
Your Joy is my strength alone
My strength alone

Orlando Hernandez