Lead, follow or get out of the way!
That’s a popular sentiment these days. I still recall those difficult and uncertain first few days after Hurricane Katrina when it seemed no one was in charge. Along came a leader, General Russell Honore’ and things started to happen. Others, inspired by his leadership, began to follow and take action. For those who still were wandering about aimlessly, the good General just got them out of the way. I still remember his famous line; don’t get stuck on stupid!
We all have experienced leaders in our lives; perhaps we have acted in a leadership role. We all have been followers. And if we are completely honest, we all can admit that from time to time we just get in the way.
Sometimes after Mass, as our parking lots empty, it’s fun to watch and see who is a leader, a follower or who just gets in the way.
As people of faith, do we rely on the leadership of Jesus; can we honestly say we long to follow Him and do we, or others in our lives, get in the way of following Him?
Today’s Gospel is about discipleship and a lesson for all of us in following Him. Jesus is asking His disciples, and us today, to accept Him, follow Him and stay with Him. Jesus is exercising his leadership as Scripture tells us He resolutely took the road for Jerusalem. We remember from last week’s Gospel that Jesus has turned to face Jerusalem and his suffering, death and resurrection. He gives us a path to follow for we too must resolutely turn and face our Jerusalem.
St. Luke gives us three examples of leadership, following and getting out of the way. The first is simply a man who says I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replies with the description of foxes and birds having a place to rest. Here Jesus is clearly explaining to the man, and all of us, that following Him, unreservedly, may require hardship and difficulty. The second man responds to the request to follow by saying yes, but only after I bury my father. And Jesus says; let the dead bury the dead. Seems harsh! Should not this man be allowed to bury his father? Yes, if that is what he meant. This response indicates a man who is living the good life at home with mommy and daddy. He has every physical need met. His response to Jesus means I’ll go back, be comfortable, and later in life I’ll come and follow you. Finally, the third man makes what seems like a simple request; let me go say my goodbyes and I’ll follow you to. Jesus tells him not to look at what is left behind but look to the kingdom of God.
These are all powerful instructions for our leader to us; so that we may become faithful followers. Here is where the get out of the way part comes. Nothing should come between us and our desire to follow Jesus. Nothing should prevent us from being leaders among men and women in helping lead others to Christ.
Jesus is inviting each of us to give up our security, to take risks, to avoid delaying in following Him and to expect difficulties along the way.
The invitation of Jesus to follow Him is unconditional. While He is loving and patient and He never ceases to call us to seek Him, it is ultimately our decision to put obstacles in our way. This week, we are challenged to know these obstacles, to list our limitations to follow Christ. And with total trust in Him, we are challenged to face these obstacles head on and get them out of the way.
One of our greatest challenges is our lack of knowing what He wants from us and our human tendency to diminish the teaching of the Church. This would be the week to dust off a Catechism and began learning what is expected of us. Too many of us are caught in the trap of believing that we follow Him even when we justify or rationalize the difficult choices He asks us to make. We love Him and we seek Him in Holy Communion but we pay lip service to contraception, living together outside of marriage, remarrying without the healing power of the Church, frequent confession, promoting the social teaching of the church, being foursquare against abortion and embryonic stem cell research, understanding the teachings of purgatory and so much more. These are for us, the same things Jesus encounters in today’s Gospel.
This is an important week for Jesus challenges us to follow Him and we must inform ourselves of what He expects. And we can do this with His leadership, our trust in Him and seeking our possibilities rather than living our limitations.
We all still remember the chaos of Katrina and the leadership of General Honore’. The chaos was bad; but it pales in comparison to the chaos of not following Jesus.
He gives us the formula:
Jesus leads
We follow with total surrender to Him
And get rid of all the stuff that gets in the way!
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