“Inhibitions that get in the way”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditations – Monday, October 17, 2022
Luke 9:51-62 (Forward, p. 80) CEV p. 1072
There are two parts to today’s reading—what the literary experts call pericopes—and they may seem to be entirely unrelated in terms of content and message. However, I would like to suggest that there is a common thread to them, namely some obstacles to proper discipleship, or some things that may inhibit us in properly following Jesus.
The first is what we see in the particular Samaritan that refused to help Jesus and His disciples. It is what I would call ‘partisanship’. They refused to help them because, in modern political terms, they ‘belonged to the wrong party’—or, in religious terms, belonged to the wrong religion or denomination. They were heading to Jerusalem and to its Temple to a festival and the Samaritans did not approve. The Samaritans had another temple, a rival one, which they considered to be the correct one, and so did not want to support these Jewish believers in their choice of a different one.
The second inhibition is what we see in the two disciples James and John, the so-called Sons of Thunder. They were upset with the response, the rejection, on the part of the Samaritan villagers, and wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume them, just as Elijah did with the officers of King Ahaziah that had been sent to arrest him (see 2 Kings 1:10,12). Actually, this response by the two brothers is more akin to how another prophet, Elisha, reacted when harassed by a gang of youth. He sent two she-bears to come and tear forty-two of the boys to pieces (see 2 Kings 2:23-24). This inhibition is what I would call ‘petty grievances’, and according to what Jesus said in a subsidiary text, it has no place in the kingdom of God.
The third inhibition concerns a would-be disciple and has to do with what I would call ‘security concerns’. Certainly, as Jesus points out, following Him implies something of a risk, as you will never know in advance just where He will lead you or what He will require of you. In fact, in following Jesus during His lifetime it did not even guarantee anything by way of a secure or fixed home base. Jesus and His disciples, ‘by the very nature of the beast’, were always on the move—so as to reach more people with the good news of the Gospel. That was a given!
The second would-be disciple is also inhibited, also held back, but this time by supposed family responsibilities. We look at this and say, ‘of course, what the man is asking is inherently reasonable, and should certainly be accommodated. It is quite understandable that he’d would want to stay around and bury such a close relative, especially someone as close as one’s father’. But here we are ‘reading’ the story in light of our present-day Western customs, not according to what happened in Jesus’ day. Jewish burials at the time of Jesus took place on the very day of death and so there was no waiting around, no waiting. Where the waiting came in was with the ‘second’ burial, when the bones of the deceased were taken out of the burial chamber and placed in an ossuary. But that only could happen after the flesh had left the bones—and could take years! So, in reality, this was but a ‘fine excuse’ to put off following Jesus for a very long time—perhaps for ever.
The third would-be disciple stands on similar ground. With him, it is some part of unfinished, undefined business back at home. But, won’t there always be some piece of ‘unfinished’ business, some other responsibility or task to take care of? Isn’t that a fact of life? Our job list, our to-do lists, if you are at all like me, are never completed, never entirely or fully ‘taken care of.’
I find these various inhibitions, these obstacles, to all too familiar, all too personal. On the matter of partisanship, I’m afraid that I really do have a lot of trouble with those who have different opinions than mine on the matter of vaccinations or the Freedom Convoy or global conspiracies or QAnon. In fact, I probably go out of my way to avoid them, which is not at all the ‘proper’ gospel response. On the matter of religious differences, I am a little more accommodating, but even then, I have some real problems with those on the extreme fringes, like those who believe in multiple partners or in prosperity—the so-called health and wealth gospel.
As for petty grievances, don’t even get me started on that! With backed up supply chains, grumpy and less than helpful store personnel, questionable governmental policies and actions, world affairs, chronic complainers, and backbiting and critical people in general, I find much to get grieved about these days. I know that such is a real inhibition to following Jesus or spreading—or living the good news, but that’s the way it is, for now at least.
And likewise, with the three would-be disciples, I find that I have a lot of common ground with them. Aren’t there, won’t there, always be family responsibilities, things to ‘take care of’, back at home? Aren’t there always ‘things left undone’ or things that ‘should’ get done, things that we could quite easily allow to get in the way of our faithfully following and obeying Jesus? And as for security, at my age and stage in life, that becomes paramount, paramount in terms of a fixed and comfortable residence, an adequate income, and a place for my books and my computer. If following Jesus meant having to entirely pull up stakes and divest myself of all this, it would be difficult indeed. I am quite willing to be insecure in the sense of not knowing just where my future lies and taking that risk, but, as for the rest, I am just like that would-be disciple. And, I suspect that many, if not most, of us are like that. So, my prayer is this, “Lord, help us all to be more faithful to you”. Amen.
Forward notes: “Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’” (verse 62).
“My wife and I grew up in Georgia and New York City, respectively, separated by more than 900 miles. Yet, our parents were of one mind about the absolute value of keeping the commitments one makes, not just to God, but to anyone or anything. They took to heart the words from Ecclesiastes 5:4: ‘When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.’
“We often reminded our son that he was to see things through, especially when the going got tough: orchestra, scouts, swim team. It is certainly easy to let something slide down and then off one’s to-do list, to drag one’s feet and look back wistfully.
“Among the reasons I always enjoy parish workdays is not merely seeing folks turn out to help refresh our campus but because we are showing each other and modeling for our children the meaning of commitment. Who wouldn’t rather watch ‘the game’ than sweep the walkways? But we’re reminded to fulfill what we vow.”
Moving Forward: “How are you doing with fulfilling your commitments?”