The Gospel for MONDAY, May 9, 2005 (Gregory of Nazianzus)
Luke 9:51-62
Now it happened that as the time drew near for him to be taken up, he resolutely turned his face towards Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village. As they travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me,’ replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good–bye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
A Study
There are at least two well-known ways to examine this text, and a horde, I'm sure of others.
The first states that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for the final showdown -- with His face "resolutely turned towards" (some translations say "set toward") Jerusalem. He wasn't interested in those with only an interest in His mission; he wanted commitment.
The second way states that these verses are dramatized for effect on their listeners -- these stories were read aloud, for centuries, and weren't intended to be read silently as we might read a book today -- and the writers are attempting to impress on their listeners that Jesus wanted people to commit to the New Way in a serious way. This was not a taste test, but a new way of living.
A Reflection
There's also a third way to think about the stories.
If we were to drop in on the people of first century Palestine, we would find people living under unimaginable oppression from the Romans and the religious elite. The Romans had managed to remove any hope of the natives ever having their own government again, putting down revolt after revolt by killing everyone who might possibly have been involved, and a few thousand more just to ensure that the Roman point had been well made. And the mode of death had generally been crucifixion, in which the victim hung for days, tied to a cross until he either died of thirst and exposure, or of asphixiation. Stories are told of crosses lining the roads into Jerusalem for miles.
But Israel could unite (philosophically, at least) and see Rome as a common enemy. What about the religious elite? This one to three per cent of the "aristocracy," such as they were, lived off Temple taxes and sacrifices. The officials who "guarded" the Temple treasury were lining their own pockets, as were the money-changers who swapped unclean Roman money for coins acceptable in the Temple -- taking a cut for themselves, of course. There were the clean animals sold by the priestly families, whose priests alone could determine whether an animal was fit to be sacrificed. And it went on and on.
So it might not have been so hard for a person living under those circumstances to drop everything and follow this charismatic prophet from Galilee. Whatever happened in Jerusalem, their lives couldn't get any worse.
In fact, what happened in Jerusalem gave us the potential for everyone's life to get much better.
The Collect
Almighty God, who have revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace that, like your bishop Gregory of Nazianzus, we may continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who live and reign for ever and ever.
8:40:20 PM 
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