It's the 5th Sunday of the month, and it was my turn to offer the reflection for our Sunday service at the Community of Emmanuel in central Edmonton this morning. Today Jesus' own homelessness comes into the Gospel reading, which perhaps makes it even more meaningful for our folks.
There are always so many things that can come out of the day's scriptures, but what's below is what I shared with my friends downtown:
* * * * * * *
Isn’t this interesting, what Jesus is saying to the people he and the disciples were
meeting on their way to Jerusalem?
How could he
say such things? Telling people to abandon their families, or to follow him
just as a family funeral is about to happen. And to the person who said, “I’ll
follow you wherever you go,” he’s saying, “Prepare to be homeless, dude,
because I have nowhere to lay my head, either.”
These don’t
sound like things a smart leader would say to encourage people to follow him!
So what’s
going on with Jesus?
Well, for
starters, he’s on his way to Jerusalem. He knows he’s going to give up his life
to teach the world about God’s love for every single one of us, and he knows
it’s not going to be an easy ride. He’s walking toward the cross, putting the
world behind him, and he’s speaking very clearly because he knows he’s going to die. He has clarity to the max.
Basically,
we’re hearing Jesus cutting through the crap that can distract us from following
Creator’s purpose for each one of us.
For
starters, Jesus is not saying that homelessness is no big deal, because he
knows it is a big deal. He’s letting us know that he gets it, he’s lived it,
and he’s surviving it. He’s honest, and giving the guy who says, “I’ll follow
you wherever you go,” a reality check, saying, “Are you sure, dude? This isn’t
exactly a glamourous life I'm living here." Jesus never promised us that
life would be easy, but he did promise that his Spirit would be with us every
step of the way.
Jesus is also
not saying that commitments like burying the dead aren’t important, but he is
saying that if we live too long in the past, in what has been, focused on
people and things that have gone before, we can end up distracted from doing
what Creator asks of us in the present.
Jesus is also not saying that our families are unimportant, but that worrying too much about what they expect of us can prevent us from growing into the people God wants us to be. If I had followed the expectations of my people, I'd go to my old church with them every Sunday rather than spend my time here. But I find my faith, joy and purpose with all of you in the Community of Emmanuel. God is here, in all of you!
But perhaps
the most interesting line Jesus says in today’s reading is, “No one who puts a
hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
In other
words, excuses aren’t what Jesus is looking for. He's wanting our whole-hearted willingness to be with him. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus
is inviting us to set our hesitations and doubts about following him aside.
He’s asking us to step forward in freedom from all that, not looking backward to things that are less important.
He invites us to consider – what is holding us back from loving and serving
Creator whole-heartedly right now?
Let’s spend
some time with Jesus, thinking about that question…
As I usually
do, I invite you to take a deep breath and settle into your chair as
comfortably as you can.
Put your
feet on the floor, straighten your spine, and let your eyes close, or soften
their focus.
Breathe in
deeply, and out gently and quietly.
Settle into
the rhythm of your breathing, in and out, in and out.
Just rest in
complete stillness and quietness.
Let your
mind’s thoughts come and go like clouds floating by.
Then, imagine
walking down the hill to your favourite spot on the river.
Smell the
fresh morning air, see the sunlight on the leaves of the trees.
Hear the
birds and feel the solidness of the good earth path under your feet, the caress of the breeze on your cheek.
When you
reach the river, Jesus is sitting on a large stone there, with another stone next
to him for you to sit on.
He stands, holds
out his hands in a gesture of welcome, gives you a hug, and invites you to sit down.
Then he smiles and asks how you’re doing. "How are you doing?"
You can see his love for you in his eyes as you tell him. He is listening very carefully.
Jesus asks
if there is anything keeping you from freedom with him right now.
The love in his eyes makes it easier for you to tell him about your struggles and doubts.
You can say things to him that you can’t tell anyone else. He is listening deeply.
“Nothing you
say or do can prevent Creator and me and the Spirit from loving you,” he says.
He bends to
pick up a rounded stone the size of your first from the rocky river’s edge. He
hands it to you, saying, “Put your all your burdens and hesitations onto this
stone.”
Imagine the
weight of the stone in your hand getting heavier as you transfer your doubts and
worries onto it.
“Okay,”
Jesus says. He picks up a stone like yours, saying, “Let’s throw these stones
into the river on the count of three. One, two, three!”
Splash!
Jesus laughs. “Yours went
further,” he says.
“God loves you so much,” he says. “Don’t let anything hold you back from that love.”
Then he
stands, offers you his hand, and you walk back up the riverbank together…
... And I invite
you to open your eyes, shift your awareness, and come back to this space.
* * * * * * *
Let’s pray these words together... make these words your own:
for sending your son Jesus
to remind me how much you love me.
Give me the strength and courage
to put my doubts, excuses, and hesitations behind me,
so I can walk forward in freedom with you.
Life isn’t easy,
but your company lightens my burdens.
Stay with me,
and show me the way you want me to go.
Thank you for loving me,
and everybody else too.
+Amen, hiy hiy.
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