Come, Follow Me!

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Come, Follow Me!”

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

We read several occasions today of people who wanted to follow those holy men who crossed their paths. First Elisha was willing to leave everything to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Elijah. In the New Testament someone calls out to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go’”. It’s easy to understand how this happened. People were amazed at the miracles these men of God performed. In Jesus’ case people saw with their own eyes the great miracles that he worked; they witnessed firsthand the gentleness and great compassion with which he treated people, not just his own but non-Jews also. They personally experienced his genuineness and sincerity of heart. They felt welcomed and comfortable in his presence. And, they wanted to stay in that comfort zone long as they could. At first glance it is easy to understand why they wanted to remain with Jesus. But remember, Jesus wasn’t peddling la dolce vita. Jesus tells them up front that following him would lead them on a challenging and difficult journey, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head”. In other words, Jesus wanted to spell out that the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, that to be a disciple, one must do as he did – pick up our crosses and follow him.

We know that being a follower of Jesus is difficult. We don’t do a good job of denying ourselves or taking up our crosses, right? Having a discipleship mentality puts us at odds with the “real world” where all of our efforts go to build ourselves up, let everyone know just how great we are or show them how much we have accomplished. That’s really the only way to get ahead in life…this life, that is. The very fact that we strive so much to succeed puts us in direct competition with everyone else and it is those basic struggles of life that often breed resentments and envy, difficult vices that challenge and undermine our faith. They don’t have to, but truthfully, they often do.

So, what’s the secret to living an authentic Christian life in our day and age? One way is to distinguish between what we want and what we truly need. Our wants are generally insatiable. Our needs are fairly basic and so much more easily attainable. If we are able to seek only what we need, we can begin to imitate the spirit of simplicity and freedom of Jesus. With less focus on our own needs and concerns, perhaps we can increase our love for one another, which puts us on track to practice the greatest commandment… loving God and our neighbors as ourselves. This is how we begin to deny ourselves and open ourselves to the good things that God has in store for us, those things not present in our world, but rather those treasures that flow from the kingdom of God that are for everyone and that last forever – everlasting… Joy, ……Peace, and Happiness.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom