but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God

Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


Luke 9:51-62

When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

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Strange - here he is, on his way to Jerusalem, and these people are coming with him, and yet he gives them an assortment of challenging instructions.

To one, who says "I will follow you" he gives a warning - I am homeless, a wanderer. Are you sure you want to do this?

To another, he says "Follow me" but that person, having secured an invitation, finds a prior commitment.

What is prior - a priority - over following Jesus?

Leave it.

LEAVE IT.

Leave it behind - and get going, and tell people the good news - the important news - that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

If that is true, then there is nothing more urgent than to proclaim it.

Nothing should stand in your way of calling people into the kingdom.

Nothing should come before - drop what you are doing (as he said to the fishermen) and come RIGHT NOW and follow me.

Do what I am doing: sounding the alarm, shouting the warning, singing the joyous song:

God's reign is appearing among us - right now, right here.

Don't let anything get in the way of telling people that.

Nothing could be more important.

Not even burying the dead.

There is no time to say good-bye to the folks at home. Come. NOW

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No hesitation.

Why would he say such a thing to a person recently bereaved? to a dutiful son?

Because you should not put anything before God.

God is God, God alone.

After that, to be honest, all the rest will fall into its proper place. I believe that.

It is reassuring, it is good news.

Once things are put in the right order - God first, the kingdom above all - then health will come to your life, completion, wholeness, and peace.

Not peace as the world wants it - no illusions there - but the peace of just and right.

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Told you he was scary.

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