Luke 9.57-62
Since today was scheduled as a make-up day for reading, which by the grace of God I don’t need, I decided to write a few thoughts on the designated reading according to the Lectionary for today. It isn’t that long, so I will include it:
Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, 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." Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
As we said yesterday in regard to following Jesus, He desires us to make a commitment to Him. This commitment is not meant to be just half-way as described in today’s reading. If we cannot ultimately place Him and following His will before ANYTHING in our daily lives, then we are not worthy of calling ourselves Christians.
In our contemporary American life I believe this has wounded the Church. We have somehow agreed that Church is for Sundays and maybe an occasional funeral during the week. Oh sure, we’ll come to the Church for Festival meetings or committee meetings, but for Church????? A cursory review of Church websites reveals the dismal picture – WHERE IS TIME SPENT WITH GOD?
In the ancient Church this commitment was taken so deeply, as we read in Acts, “So they continued daily with one accord in the temple.” (Acts 2.46)
I encourage you, since you’re still reading at this point, to grab the bull by the horns and take back your life for Christ and rededicate it to Him above all else. You have already taken the first step by accepting the New Testament Challenge. Now go another step this week and choose to find time at Church. Light a candle and venerate the Holy Icons and (if your nearby Orthodox Church is blessed to have relics) venerate the Holy Relics of the Saints. Make the decision to attend, as a family, one additional Church service every week until Christmas. If your parish doesn’t offer any weekday or Saturday services, then stop by the Church during your lunch hour and ask to go in the Church for a few moments and sit and pray. Your life will be blessed for it….
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