A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (9:57-62)
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.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Reflection: If we are honest with ourselves, many of our conversations with God include a hidden clause. We say, “Lord, I will serve you, I will pray more, I will forgive that person… but first, let me take care of this, one thing.” Kind of, like a Conditional Follower.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus encounters three different prospective disciples, on the road to Jerusalem. Each encounter highlights, the indirect traps of conditional discipleship, and clarifies exactly what these individuals wanted to put, ahead of God.
The first person, approaches Jesus with great enthusiasm, promising to follow Him anywhere. But Jesus gently exposes, his hidden desire for comfort. By warning that “…the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Jesus reveals that, this man wanted to ensure his own material security first. He wanted a guarantee of safety, before stepping out in faith.
The second person, is directly called by Jesus, but he responds, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” On the surface, this sounds like a reasonable request of family piety. However, scholars note this phrase often meant, staying home until an aging parent had passed away, years down the line. This man wanted to delay his discipleship, until a more convenient season, prioritizing cultural obligations, over the immediate urgency of the Kingdom.
The third person says; “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus responds with the famous image of the plow, warning against looking back. This final traveler suffered, from a divided heart. He wanted to step forward with Jesus, while keeping his eyes locked on the life and attachments, he was leaving behind.
Security, convenience, and past attachments—these are the three things, these men wanted to handle first. Today, as we reflect on these three conditional responses, we look to the Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church. Saint Jerome is best known, for translating the Bible into Latin, giving us his famous conviction that, “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Jerome was a brilliant scholar, who had a comfortable life ahead of him. Yet, when he heard the call of Christ through the Scriptures, he did not say, “But first…” He did not look back. He abandoned the prestige of Rome, moved to a quiet cave in Bethlehem, and dedicated his entire existence to the Word of God. He understood that when Christ calls, the only appropriate response is immediate action. Jerome didn’t wait for a convenient time to master the Scriptures; he made the Word of God, the absolute cornerstone of his life, right then and there. Jesus is not telling us to abandon our families or ignore our responsibilities. Rather, He is challenging our priorities. He is asking us, what occupies the number one slot in our hearts.
When we look at our own lives of faith, what is our personal “but first”?
Is it: “I will tithe, but first let me buy this next thing”?
Is it: “I will volunteer, but first let my schedule clear up”?
Is it: “I will forgive, but first let them apologize”?
Saint Jerome, pray for us!
Action for the day: Take a moment today and ask Saint Jerome to intercede for you. Dive into the Scriptures, encounter the living Christ, and have the courage to drop your conditions. When Jesus says, “Follow me,” let your response be swift, wholehearted, and free of any delays.
Audio Reflection:
