First Reading: First Kings 19:16b, 19-21 Responsorial: Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 Second Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Gospel Passage: Luke 9:51-62
Obliged by Msgr. Richard Henning
For most of us, discerning God’s will is a tricky science. On the one hand, grasping the will of the unseen and all knowing Creator appears impossible. On the other hand, God has given us many tools for discerning the Divine Will. Some are internal, the gift of conscience or the presence of the Spirit, and some are external such as the scriptures or the examples of the faith. Even so, applying the demands of the Divine Will in our daily existence takes time and effort.
With that in mind, the biblical characters seem to have an improbably rapid apprehension of God’s commands. It may be that the original experience was more complex, but the telling of it here emphasizes the importance of fulfilling the obligations laid upon us by God.
In the passage from First Kings, we hear that God commands Elijah to anoint a successor. While Elijah has proven stubborn in the past, in this instance he obeys God and places his mantle and the indication of Divine choice upon the shoulders of Elisha. Elisha’s response is rapid and complete. He requests some time to bid farewell to his parents, a proper request in accord with the culture and God’s commandments. In next using his plowing equipment to cook his oxen and feed the people, Elisha demonstrates his commitment – there will be no turning back from his decision to answer the call of the Lord.
The lectionary links this passage with the passage from Luke in order to make a point about Jesus’ own determination. Jesus submits Himself entirely to the Divine Will. It is this very characteristic of absolute and unconditional faithfulness that stands at the center of His identity in all four gospels. Here in Luke, this is the moment when Jesus embarks on His journey to Jerusalem, a journey that will consume ten chapters of Luke. Over this lengthy section of the Gospel, the reader learns about Jesus’ destiny to suffer and die, and His embrace of this destiny.
And we hear Jesus instruct His followers regarding the implications of His saving faithfulness. They too, as we heard last week, are to take up their cross “daily.” They too must live in faithful obedience even when the demands of that obedience appear to be burdensome. They must risk hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. They must place their obligation to the Lord above every other obligation – event those that are normally praised in the scriptures. Thus by contrast with Elisha, Jesus’ demands go further. They may not take the time to bid farewell to parents or even bury the dead. They will not dispose of plow, but abandon it and not look back.
Jesus’ words here are harsh, but the harshness is mitigated by two realities. The first is that His words are exaggeration in order to make a point. There are numerous examples of such hyperbole in the gospels (“if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off!”). These words are meant to shock and disturb in order to shake the disciples out of complacency. Secondly, Jesus’ words cannot be harsh when we realize that He lives them. He walks the path before us and does not demand anything that He is not prepared to give.
Paul’s determination to preach the Gospel to the nations was likewise relentless. He proclaimed that new Christians would find their salvation in Christ Jesus and did not need to observe the strictures of Mosaic Law. With the Galatians, Paul will not surrender the point. He views any attempt to impose Jewish customs on the converts as a rejection of Jesus. Paul warns the Galatians against backsliding and calls them to the freedom made possible by the sacrifice of the Lord. Our passage contains one verse alluding to this debate (5:1). The remaining verses (5:13-18) go beyond the debate as Paul describes the quality of this new freedom. His language contrasting “flesh” and “spirit” is rooted in this controversy where some demanded a sign of faith in the flesh, that of circumcision. As Paul denounces such claims, he summons the community to a new relationship with God and with one another.
Obliged is an interesting word. It speaks both of obligation and gratitude. In Elijah and Elisha, we have examples of great prophets who submitted themselves freely to God’s commands. In the preaching and example of Jesus we see that good example brought to its ultimate perfection. The Lord Jesus goes beyond any other in His faithfulness. Today, he challenges us to understand and accept the obligations of the Christian life, and to place those obligations at the center of our lives. But as St. Paul teaches the Galatians, the obligation to obey God is not slavery but liberation. We are obliged to serve, and we are served by our obligations.
