The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. George Pejakovich, Assistant to the Dean
Grace Cathedral
6/27/10

Luke 9:51-62

A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, I WAS ATTENDING A CHAPLAIN’S RETREAT, AND, DURING THE FIRST DISCUSSION SESSION, THE LEADER ASKED THE GROUP MEMBERS TO TELL SOMETHING ABOUT OUR SELVES, ESPECIALLY HOW WE CAME TO THE ORDAINED MINISTRY. I GENERALLY FIND THESE KINDS OF EXERCISES TO BE ANNOYING, BUT, SINCE EVERY GROUP LEADER DOES THE SAME THING, I SUPPOSE THERE MIGHT BE A POINT TO IT. AS EACH OF US SPOKE FOR A BIT, THE LEADER ASKED THE SAME QUESTION; “HOW DID YOU COME TO THE ORDAINED MINISTRY?” WHEN HE GOT TO ONE PARTICULAR CHAPLAIN, THE ANSWER HE GOT CAUSED A VERY THOUGHTFUL SILENCE TO FALL ON THE GROUP. “WELL,” REPLIED THIS MINISTER OF CHRIST, “I REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO DO AFTER COLLEGE, AND SOMEONE TOLD ME I HAD A GOOD VOICE AND WAS A GOOD SPEAKER SO PERHAPS I SHOULD BE A PREACHER. I THOUGHT I’D GIVE IT A TRY AND SEE IF I LIKED IT.” I MUST ADMIT THAT IT TOOK ALL OF MY SELF-CONTROL TO KEEP FROM LEAPING TO MY FEET AND BLURTING OUT, “WHAT? THAT’S YOUR SENSE OF CALLING TO FOLLOW CHRIST?” THOSE IN THE GROUP WHO KNEW ME WELL MADE EYE CONTACT WITH ME, AND GENTLY SHOOK THEIR HEADS TO KEEP ME IN MY SEAT.
 
THE CALL TO FOLLOW CHRIST IS NOT SOMETHING ONE TRIES OUT TO SEE IF ONE LIKES IT OR NOT, LIKE A JACKET OR A PAIR OF PANTS. ONE EITHER RESPONDS TO THE CALL OF THE CHRIST OF GOD, AND FOLLOWS IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, OR ONE REJECTS THE CALL AND DOES NOT. IT IS THE LIFE ALTERING AND LIFE CHANGING DECISION OF ONE’S ENTIRE LIFE, AND THERE IS NO “MAYBE” ABOUT IT. IT IS A “YES” OR “NO” DECISION, AND THERE ARE NO OPTIONS FOR “LET ME THINK ABOUT IT,” OR “I’LL DO IT WHEN I FINISH UP MY BUSINESS,” OR EVEN “I’LL FOLLOW JESUS WHEN I DO ALL THE THINGS I WANT TO DO FIRST.” THE CALL TO FOLLOW JESUS IS LIFE CHANGING AND LIFE ALTERING BECAUSE WHEN WE RESPOND TO HIS CALL AND FOLLOW HIM, FOLLOWING HIM BECOMES OUR LIFE, AND EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE AND WANTED ARE LEFT BEHIND IN THE DUST, AND OUR LIVES ARE ONLY ABOUT FOLLOWING OUR LORD.

THE GOSPEL FOR TODAY IS ALL ABOUT MAKING A DECISION. JESUS HAD SET HIS FACE TOWARD JERUSALEM; HE HAD MADE THE DECISION TO FOLLOW THE CALL OF HIS GOD AND FATHER TO GO TO THE CROSS FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD. HE KNEW THAT HIS TIME WAS NOW COMING QUICKLY, SO HE WOULD ALLOW NOTHING TO SWAY HIM FROM HIS DECISION. AS HE MOVED SOUTH, HE SENT HIS DISCIPLES AHEAD OF HIM, AS FORERUNNERS, TO TELL THE PEOPLE THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS AT HAND, AND THAT HE WAS HEADED TO THE HOLY CITY. HIS FORERUNNERS WERE TO PREPARE THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGES AND TOWNS FOR HIS ARRIVAL, AND GATHER THEM TOGETHER SO JESUS COULD PREACH THE GOOD NEWS ON HIS WAY.

THE SAMARITANS DID NOT RECEIVE HIM, BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO JERUSALEM. THE SAMARITANS WERE A MIXED RACE OF ALL THOSE SETTLED IN THE FORMER NORTHERN KINGDOM AFTER ITS DESTRUCTION BY ASSYRIA, WHO HAD A CORRUPT FORM OF WORSHIP AND THEIR OWN TEMPLE AS A RIVAL TO THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. THEY HATED THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE CONSIDERED THEM UNCLEAN AND SINFUL. WHEN THEY HEARD THAT JESUS WAS GOING TO JERUSALEM, AND NOT COMING TO THEM EXCLUSIVELY, THEY REJECTED HIM AND WOULD NOT EVEN HEAR HIS MESSAGE. WHEN JAMES AND JOHN HEARD ABOUT THIS REJECTION OF THEIR LORD, THEY WERE INCENSED AND WANTED TO DESTROY THE INGRATE SAMARITANS. JESUS REBUKED HIS DISCIPLES BECAUSE THE SAMARITANS HAD MADE THEIR DECISION. ONE CAN EITHER ACCEPT THE CALL OF THE CHRIST OF GOD AND FOLLOW HIM OR REJECT HIS CALL; THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.

AS JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES CONTINUED ON TO JERUSALEM, A MAN SAID TO HIM, “I WILL FOLLOW YOU ANYWHERE.” JESUS’ RESPONSE TO HIM, “FOXES HAVE HOLES, AND BIRDS OF THE AIR HAVE NESTS, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD,” WAS A WAY OF ASKING “ARE YOU PREPARED TO GIVE UP ALL THE COMFORTS AND SECURITY OF YOUR HOME, BECAUSE IN FOLLOWING AFTER ME ALL THAT MUST BE LEFT BEHIND.” TO ANOTHER, JESUS CALLED “FOLLOW ME,” BUT HE BEGGED TO FIRST GO AND BURY HIS FATHER. TO THIS REQUEST, JESUS RESPONDED WITH WHAT AT FIRST SEEMS VERY HARSH; “LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD, BUT AS FOR YOU, GO AND PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” WHAT HE IS SAYING IS TO LET THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD WEEP AND WAIL, BUT IF YOU HAVE HEARD THE WORDS OF LIFE, AND BELIEVE, THEN YOU MUST PROCLAIM IT IN SPITE OF EVERY OTHER CALL ON YOUR LIFE. A THIRD MAN SAID HE WILL FOLLOW JESUS, BUT FIRST WANTED TO GO BACK TO SAY GOODBYE TO HIS FAMILY. TO HIM, JESUS SAID, “NO ONE WHO PUTS HIS HAND TO THE PLOW AND LOOKS BACK IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.”

WE DO NOT KNOW IF ANY OF THESE PEOPLE FOLLOWED JESUS. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THERE CAN BE NO “BUT” IN THE DECISION TO FOLLOW HIM. HIS CALL TO FOLLOW HIM, AND THE DECISION TO DO SO, IS ALWAYS IMMEDIATE AND TOTAL. THERE IS NO “MAYBE,” OR “LATER,” OR “GIVE ME SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT;” HIS CALL REQUIRES A “YES” OR “NO,” AND IF THE ANSWER IS “YES,” THEN NOTHING CAN BE ALLOWED TO STAND IN THE WAY OF FOLLOWING THE CHRIST OF GOD.
 
WHEN I SAID “YES” TO THE CALL OF CHRIST, AND DECIDED TO FOLLOW HIM, I KNEW THAT DOING SO WOULD COST ME ALMOST EVERYTHING. I HAD A VERY PROMISING CAREER IN THE ARMY, AND WAS TEACHING AT WEST POINT. I HAD BEEN SELECTED FOR PROMOTION, AND NOMINATED FOR LANGUAGE SCHOOL AND ASSIGNMENT AS A MILITARY ATTACHE AT A FOREIGN EMBASSY. I WALKED AWAY FROM ALL THAT, AND FROM THE SECURITY OF A PAYCHECK AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS, TO FOLLOW WHERE JESUS WOULD LEAD ME. IN ADDITION, IT COST ME, FOR A TIME, THE LOVE OF MY EARTHLY FATHER, BECAUSE HE DISOWNED ME. I CAN TRACE MY FAMILY TO THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY, ALL OF WHOM WERE ORTHODOX AND SAW THEIR SELVES AS THE DEFENDERS OF THE TRUE FAITH. WHEN I RESIGNED MY COMMISSION AND ENTERED SEMINARY, MY FATHER COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT HIS SON COULD BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN ORTHODOX AND STILL BE HIS SON. SO, TO FOLLOW JESUS, I HAD TO WALK AWAY FROM MONEY, PRESTIGE, SECURITY, AND MY FAMILY; I EVEN HAD TO SELL THE CAR I LOVED TO PAY MY WAY.

I NEVER LOOKED BACK, AND I NEVER REGRET THAT LIFE CHANGING DECISION; NOR DO I WONDER ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. IN FOLLOWING JESUS, I HAVE FOUND THE FREEDOM OF THE LIFE IN CHRIST. BY ACCEPTING THE CALL OF CHRIST, AND FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS TO PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM OF GOD, I HAVE COME TO KNOW THE PEACE OF GOD THAT JESUS BRINGS. IN HIM, AND IN FOLLOWING HIS CALL, I HAVE ALL THAT I NEED OR WANT, AND HE HAS BLESSED ME AND CARED FOR ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. HE HAS LED ME TO DO THINGS AND TO GO TO PLACES I NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED, LIKE TOPEKA, AND I KNOW THAT BY FOLLOWING HIM THERE IS MORE, MUCH MORE, TO COME.  

THE CALL OF CHRIST TO “FOLLOW ME,” IS A CALL TO EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH, AND THAT DECISION IS ALWAYS A “YES” OR A “NO;” THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND. WHEN WE SAY “YES” TO HIS CALL, WE BECOME A PART OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND OUR MISSION IS TO PROCLAIM HIS KINGDOM NEAR AND FAR. NOTHING CAN BE ALLOWED TO GET IN THE WAY OF THAT MISSION, SO ALL THINGS MUST BE SET ASIDE AS WE FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR LORD. NEVER LOOK BACK, ONLY AHEAD, AS WE FOLLOW JESUS TO WHERE HE LEADS US; TO THE GLORIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD WHICH IS TO COME.
AMEN