Lots of promises are being made during this election cycle. But complaints have been leveled at candidates for not being specific. How exactly are they going to make up for a cut in taxes? What s going to happen to the 11 million undocumented people living in this country? How exactly do they intend to make the country safer?
People complain that we don t hear how they are going to solve some of the major issues affecting our country these days. One news analysts suggest that the candidates have been given talking points by their campaign managers. The candidates are practiced not to answer a question directly, but to get to the talking points. They must stay with the program. Candidates can t afford to turn their audiences off. They can t slip-up, especially in nationally televised debates — which we will soon be hearing. How else are they going to get votes and win over a large following?
Imagine a politician talking to a crowd of potential followers, telling them what Jesus told the crowds following him on the road to Jerusalem that day. A campaign manager would have told him, Listen, you ve got a large and enthusiastic crowd. Don t lose them, don t turn them off! But Jesus didn t have polished speechwriters, or campaign managers. He just had the strength and drawing power of himself and his message.
What politician would stand before an audience and tell them, If you re going to vote for me, your voting to lose your homes and families. You ll be deciding to lose what you love best. So, come on, make a choice. Are you going to follow me? In sum, that s what Jesus is saying. Choose me over family, if they are holding you back. Be prepared to give our possessions, if they are holding you back. And, oh yes, be prepared for a nasty death.
In Jesus time people didn t consider themselves as individuals the way we Americans do, we rugged individuals. They got their identity and social standing from belonging to family, clan, village and religious group. It would be unimaginable to cut oneself off from family. It would be like losing one s life.
The cost of following Jesus might mean tension, even rupture in one s biological family. In fact, in the early church there were examples of children being turned over to the Romans by their families for being Christians. A choice for Jesus, certainly would seem like hatred towards one s family. If anyone comes to me without hating their father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even their own life, they cannot be my disciple. Can you hear the family arguments? How could you do this to us? How could you embarrass us before our friends? Why would you want to join that rabble, those Christians?
Jesus wants his hearers to ponder what he says. Be like a builder, calculate the cost before you decide to build. Don t start what you can t finish. Consider what Jesus is asking before you throw your lot in with him. Remember, the journey we are following him on is going to Jerusalem. It will cost. He is asking us to take on whatever difficult burden we must in order to follow him, and to leave behind what holds us back, or slows us down. The final line lays it out quite starkly: In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all their possessions cannot be my disciple.
Well aren t we followers of Jesus already? We have been baptized, most of us as infants. We don t have to make the hard decisions Jesus is asking those potential followers to make, do we? I think Jesus is trying to jolt us regulars too, to wake us up. How have we fallen into routine and habit in our faith?
Despite the recent heat summer is coming to an end. We have already begun to turn the lights on earlier. But if you re like me there are things I said I was going to do at the beginning of summer that I never got around to. This summer I m going to…. There were must read books that are still unread. I never did get around to brushing up on my Spanish. Did you do that extra exercise you said you were going to do? Did you eat less sweets, more fresh vegetables and fruits? Did you clear out the closet and get rid of the clothes you no longer wear? Well, never mind, no big deal. There s always next summer.
In contrast Jesus uses stark language today to make a point. There is no putting off decisions we must make and changes we have not yet gotten around to. It s not about later, it s about now. We must carefully think out and weigh decisions: how are we to respond to Jesus today? What is very clear from the gospel is that it costs to serve completely and utterly this Christ we call Lord. My mother would say, No if s and no buts.
One thing is for sure, as followers of Christ we can t coast. We certainly can t say we live in a Christian country and just go along with our government and society s values. Jesus says we have to consider to what nation and family we belong. We are members of his family and citizens of the kingdom of God. At this meal we come forward once again to claim our allegiance to Jesus and in the Eucharist recommit ourselves to his way.
Jesus is asking new followers and long-time Christians for careful consideration. We can t be naïve in our commitment to him; can t run on cruise control. Our priorities must be grounded in him and if they are, sacrifice will be asked of us. I was tempted to say may be asked of us. But there is no doubt what Jesus is asking of his followers, that sacrifice will be asked of us. Make that the present tense: is being asked of us.
Isn t that why we gather here, because we need food and drink to stay on the journey with Jesus to Jerusalem? There s always a danger of compromise, or giving up on the journey. From what Jesus says today discipleship will require us to make difficult choices about: a life partner; how we are to use our resources; our career choice; responding to Jesus s call to serve the poor, etc. Following Jesus is not about what will be asked of us, but what is being asked of us right now; living our commitment to Christ fully this day. We need food for this journey. That is what Jesus gives us today, here and now, present tense, nothing less than his whole self.