Luke 9:57-62 The Would Be Followers

Luke 9:57-62  The Would Be Followers

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As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go?”  Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

Amanda Clayton had it all.  Her life had become a rags-to-riches story.  The story of Cinderella had finally come true!  

For years Amanda collected welfare benefits.  But that all changed in September of last year when she won one million dollars in the Michigan state lottery.  But one year later, almost to the date, she was found dead of an apparent drug overdose.  Her former boyfriend told a reporter, “The Amanda I knew was a caring person….She went down the wrong path, she got the money, got the freedom and felt like she could do whatever she wanted.”   Let’s keep her in our prayers.

Poverty kills.  Wealth does too.  But money is not the root of all evil.  Sin is.  Sin separates our heart, our mind, our will, our worth and our dignity from our Creator.  And when that happens, evil happens.  And that evil can lead us to the worst possible separation ever, the worst divorce ever:  hell.

Job was a very special man.  He was found worthy of God’s graces.  Yes!  God’s graces!  Even though his possessions were put through fire, his servants put to the sword, and his children swept away, he never found it in his heart to curse God!    Job was a man of deep faith and not of deep understanding.  Even when his mental faculties were tested and his body afflicted, he refused to try to explain why God would do this to him.  Through it all, Job never lowered his dignity; never forgot his Creator.

I say that Job was a man found worthy of God’s blessings because he was.  When this beautiful story of faith and fidelity was circulating among the Jews, he was the closest imitation to the real, yet unknown, person of Jesus Christ. 

Job is the prototype, the forerunner, of Jesus Christ.  But where Job lost everything, Christ gave everything.  Why?  Because it was worth it. 

Scripture scholars continue to debate whether or not this story is true.  I don't know why!  Give me a break.  Don’t they know people who have gone through “hell”, who have lost everything they had and everyone they loved?  Who cares if Job is a fictitious or anonymous name.  The facts speak for themselves.  The name “Job” may have been created, but we don’t need to be very creative to come up with this narrative.  We have seen it for ourselves!  Maybe we have lived it ourselves!  I know plenty of people who have gone through very dark times.  What makes all the difference in the world is how they respond to it; how it can get much better or far worse! 

Lord, I will follow you wherever you go!  How immature!  What nonsense.  Someone came up to the Lord and said, “I will follow you wherever you go?”  Sure, the first day, the days of excitement, are the best and easiest days.  But when days become years…  This poor guy didn’t know what he was talking about.  Job lost all that he had because the Lord stripped it from him.  This would-be-disciple thought he could bring it all.  Little did he know the Lord would ask him to strip down (physically and pride-fully) to nothing!  Poverty, chastity and obedience have a way of doing that to people.  My oh my!!!  But don’t feel too sorry for priests.  All commitments, even marriage vows, have a way of doing that to people! 

Love is all about giving and receiving…and in that order, and not always receiving on time.

It is immature to think the Lord will do what we tell him to do if we pray to him.  It is highly irrational to think that God’s protection means I will not experience dark days.  It is pure fantasy to think with God on my side, I will be rich and healthy.  Sorry folks, I just don’t see that anywhere in Scripture.

God is not very much interested in helping us settle down on earth.  He is very much interested in uprooting us and making His home our dwelling place.  This isn’t a “pie-in-the-sky” faith.  This is mission impossible - Delta force and Navy SEALS - work on earth!  Why would anyone risk their lives like these people do?  Because they consider it worth it.  They have been called to serve. 

We've been called too.

Job reacted in a way that none of the “would-be-followers” of Christ did.  When he experienced the loss of family and friends, Job did not look back:  The Lord gives and the Lord takes, blessed be the Lord now and forever!  What a declaration of faith!

Our faith and prayer life are very important for our survival and holiness.  We may lose our treasure on earth, but we can never lose the treasure of our faith.  The glitter and confetti of life’s pleasures will eventually fall…fall flat on the ground, but our hearts and minds must remain firmly planted on that which never changes.  When autumn approaches, let us prepare for winter.  When our enthusiasm for God evaporates faster than our possessions, do not grind your teeth and cast the Lord aside. Instead, hold firm to the faith of our Fathers.

Mt 19:23-30 A Lesson Still To Be Learned

Mt 19:23-30  A Lesson Still To Be Learned

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “Amen, I say to you, if will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven.”  When the Apostles heard this, they were greatly astonished…Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you.  What will there be for us?”

I’m not sure if kids read fairy-tales anymore.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t.  They can be very moralistic.  But if they did read them, I hope it’s to learn the moral of the story and not just to improve their reading skills.

The worst lesson is the one never learned.  With the increase of study and knowledge, we have, over the centuries, bettered ourselves in so many ways.  With a greater understanding of the human body, we have learned the secrets to living a healthier life.  I remember my dad once telling me that the wealthy people in his town would never eat vegetables (corn, lettuce, etc.) for the simple reason that it was considered poor man’s food.  But when the poor men lived longer (and healthier), than the rich people, they began to consider themselves accursed.  It took a while, but the rich man eventually got it.  He actually learned something from the poor man. 

But there is one lesson the rich man could have taught the poor man; and yet, the poor man has never quite learned it:  Do not be envious of me.  And even to this day, the poor man has not dared to believe it, or listen to it, or even accept it.  And to his detriment, he continues to strive to be a rich man.

Although the poor man has not learned it, the poor in spirit have.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”    The poor in spirit consider themselves blessed – wealthy - independent of their monetary wealth. 

The Apostles had a hard time understanding this.  A lot of us have a hard time accepting this.  There’s a little sliver of silver in all of us that would love to equate God’s blessings with financial bliss.  But the Lord was faithful to his word.  The Apostles never received such compensation.  We should learn this lesson from our elders.  Some have.

I know a young girl who was invited to her friend’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas.  She was a little reluctant to go.  Not only would the trip be expensive, but she knew she would be pushed into doing things she didn’t want to do.  A while back, she would have been the first to sign up.  But over the years, her heart changed and she grew closer and closer to the Lord and His Church.  She decided to go, but only for her friend’s sake.

Immediately, the partying began.  Ladies night out meant going to one raunchy show after another; drinking the night away; gambling and losing more than just money.  But this young lady insisted on staying in her Hotel or catching other types of shows.  At one point, her friends came up to her and said, “We need to talk to you.  WE ARE ALL WORRIED ABOUT YOU.  Are you okay?  Are you going through some tough times?  Are you not going with us because you can’t afford it?  Do you need some help?  Do you need some money?” 

This young lady told me: "Father, I wanted to laugh at them.  I thought to myself, 'You are worried about me???  You’re asking me if I’m ok???  I don’t need any help.  You need help!'   I smiled and told them, 'I’m perfectly fine.  Thank you.'" 

The irony of it all! 

The rich are an irony.  They work so hard to “get it all” but end up so easily “consumed (burned) by it all”.    If I were to write a fairy-tale, then the moral of the story would be the following:  Our weakest moment is when we feel the strongest (or safest, or securest).  For it is at that moment we let our guard down and find ourselves totally left unprepared for the greatest attack ever.

What is remarkable about the Lord is that he not only preached material poverty, he lived material poverty.  It was his way of conditioning - strengthening - himself.  As a priest, I can honestly say that the most honorable families, the strongest and most faithful families I know are not the wealthiest families I know.  What is true for the family is true for the religious family, the Church.  The Lord sent St. Francis of Assisi to renew His Church with his poverty, especially when it became bloated with wealth. 

But just like the children of hardworking parents, this lesson gets easily forgotten among God's children.  We, like them, tend to blow it all once we get it all.

It’s time we learn this lesson, once and for all.