An Expensive Trip

Luke 9:51-62

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

One of the organizations I follow on Facebook is an animal sanctuary located on 367 acres in Virginia. They provide a safe, permanent home for over 1200 animals. In addition to over 600 cats, their residents include dogs, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, turkey, geese, ducks, and assorted other animals. They rely heavily on volunteers but also have some paid staff. Not long ago, the director posted on Facebook about a paying position at the sanctuary. She lamented that she’d been having considerable trouble filling this position. The applicants were either unsuitable and therefore not hired, or they seemed suitable and were hired, but quit after a day or two. She didn’t understand the problem: It was really a wonderful place to work.

Curious, I read the job description for the position. The job mostly involved feeding and cleaning up after 1200 animals: barnyard and kennel work. She listed in detail how each day would be spent. I was exhausted after the third duty of the day, but the list of duties continued, and finally ended with the comment that after the person had finished these duties, they’d be expected to help build new enclosures for the animals. As I recall, this position paid the princely sum of $8 per hour, for what sounded like a lot of backbreaking and unpleasant work.

It was fairly obvious to me why she was having trouble filling this position, even in a tough economy. I commented that I was surprised that anyone had applied for this position. Privately, I thought that a person would REALLY have to love animals to take on that work. Or be really desperate. But perhaps someone would be willing to do this work out of a love for animals. We do things from deep commitment that we would not be willing to do simply for money. Many of those in the helping professions – medicine, teaching, and ministry, for example – are motivated by a desire to do good. When we’re deeply committed to our work, when we get up each morning knowing we’ll  make something good happen for someone who needs help, it’s not so much a job as a vocation: a calling.

When I read this passage from Luke, I thought of the job at the animal sanctuary. Who would want to follow where Jesus is going? Jesus and his disciples are traveling to Jerusalem. Although his disciples don’t know it, we know – and I think Jesus knew -- that this would be his last trip to Jerusalem. Shortly after he arrives there, he will be arrested, quickly tried on trumped up charges, and crucified. His disciples – at least the men who were traveling with him – will be terrified for their lives and, at least for a while, go into hiding.

But still Jesus continues traveling to Jerusalem, taking his followers with him, instead of sending them back to their homes and urging them to save themselves while there’s still time. “Follow me,” Jesus says. What, he’s going to Jerusalem where he will be crucified, and he’s urging people to follow him? If they follow him, his disciples will be in for a rough life. Who would take on such demanding work? Who would be willing to follow Jesus?

Someone says to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Perhaps this person doesn’t understand what that will mean. Jesus responds by warning him that following him will not be easy: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Then Jesus urges someone else to follow him. “Follow me.” But the man replies conditionally. He’ll go, but not now. Soon. “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus tells him that what he’s asking him to do is urgent.

It can’t wait. I think Jesus understands that the man is hesitating. “Let the dead bury their own dead,” he says, “but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

And if we still don’t understand that nothing can get in the way of immediately following Jesus, another person promises to follow Jesus … soon. “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” And again, Jesus will not accept anything less than a full commitment: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Strong words. Can it be so wrong to care about family, to make them a priority? We have to bear in mind the use of hyperbole in that culture. When Jesus told people to cut off their hand, or to hate their parents, he didn’t mean it literally. He was emphasizing a point through exaggeration, much as someone today might say “I almost died when she said that.” We don’t mean it literally. It’s just the way we talk – we’re emphasizing something. So when we spot hyperbole, we should pay particular attention. When Jesus refuses to allow potential followers to bury a parent or say good-bye to their families, Jesus is emphasizing urgency. He seems to understand how little time he has left before his death: “Follow me! No delays, no excuses, no conditions! And by the way,” Jesus says, “I know I’m asking a lot. You’ll have to make great sacrifices, and I know it won’t be easy. But follow me anyway.”

Luke is not telling us about these encounters so we’ll know what happened as Jesus traveled to his death in Jerusalem. This is directed to us. When we hear Jesus invite people to follow him, he’s inviting us also. But what does following Jesus mean? And what is the cost?

For his disciples, following Jesus meant spreading the good news, but the cost would be their lives. But what does following Jesus mean for us today? And is it dangerous anymore? Or all that demanding? Is Jesus simply asking us to get up early on Sunday mornings  and spend an hour or two at church? And to try to be nice to people? Because – important as that is – I don’t think that’s all that Jesus had in mind when he urged people to follow him.

I think one indication of whether or not we’re following Jesus is how easy it seems. If it seems really easy, if it demands little from us, this may not be what Jesus has in mind for us. At a minimum, following Jesus means paying attention to what Jesus taught and following the example of his life. But it means more than that. It means following Jesus to the cross: Being willing to risk hardship and opposition because of our faith.

A few weeks ago, I heard a pastor express a frustration common among clergy: A fear that he could not always say to his congregation what he believed, because speaking the truth might cost him his position.

It’s not just clergy that have to censor themselves. We live among people with a wide range of opinions and beliefs. For the sake of peace, we all do some editing, to avoid continually upsetting and alienating people. Not everything we think or believe needs to be shared. I personally would prefer that my relatives who have beliefs very different from my own would not assume that I believe as they do or try to change my beliefs. I try to do the same, to respect that they have different beliefs, but without discussion. Some subjects are best avoided. But avoiding conflict is not always the best response.

We all struggle with the conflict between our desire to be popular and our desire to be able to say what we really believe. We have all – on occasion – been silenced by fear of the consequences if we speak out. But where do we draw the line? At what point have we betrayed the Gospel? Many of us go through life avoiding confrontation or disagreements whenever possible, often by remaining silent even in situations in which we could do good simply by saying something – speaking up.

We are not asked to take the risks that Jesus and his disciples took: the risk of losing one’s life. We are only asked to risk unpopularity, criticism, opposition, or hostility, by – at the right moment – standing up for what we believe is good and just, according to our faith. Sometimes proclaiming the Gospel isn’t telling people about Jesus. Sometimes proclaiming the Gospel – following Jesus -- simply means saying, “This is what I believe about this situation,” when saying that requires some courage and carries some risk. It’s easy enough to get on the bandwagon for justice when enough of the people around us are supportive and in agreement, but it’s much harder when we are – or seem to be -- a lone voice speaking up on behalf of those who need us to speak up.

Mark Twain wrote that "It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare." Looking back in time, we remember as heroes those who have taken unpopular positions and changed the world. When enough years have passed and society has changed, and that lone voice is no longer alone but has become part of a crowd, we may forget how much courage it took simply to say or do something unpopular and risk the consequences.

Martin Luther King, Jr., is now revered. His birthday is a national holiday. But in his own lifetime, many people really hated him, including the powers that be at the FBI. He died young, assassinated. But he spoke out from his faith, even when most people thought he was very wrong. Even his own followers sometimes thought he was very wrong. But he believed he was going where God was sending him, even if it led to the cross.

Mahatma Gandhi was first ignored, then laughed at, then hated – but he spoke up for what he believed in even when that was quite dangerous. Now he is recognized as a great man who made a difference.

Sometimes following Jesus will get you into trouble. Many years ago, before the Civil Rights movement transformed what is considered acceptable, a Baptist preacher invited a man to attend his church. That doesn’t seem very courageous, but the man he invited was an African who was studying in this country, and the preacher’s church was entirely White. What followed was a confrontation between the preacher and his congregation. The preacher lost his position, which was a real hardship for the man and his family. Was it worth it? I think so, but how many of us would be willing to do it? Sometimes we may feel that, because of our beliefs, we must in good conscience go down a path that will be risky to our well-being.

Another Baptist preacher, Will Campbell, died recently. Although a White man from the South, Will Campbell was very active in the Civil Rights movement, He counted among his friends Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and other leaders of the movement. When Black children went to enroll in White schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, Will Campbell went with them. There could be no doubt of his commitment or his willingness to take risks. But Will Campbell went from being a hero to many to being condemned by many, because one day, it occurred to Will Campbell that Jesus loved everyone, without exception. Jesus dined with sinners and saints. So Campbell began to spend time with the “other side”: with people determined to stop integration, including Klansmen. He sat on their porches drinking sweet tea, and he ate barbeque at their picnics. For doing that, which seemed to many to be a betrayal, he received piles of hate mail. People who had admired and loved him before now turned on him. But Campbell believed that he was doing what Jesus would have done, what Jesus wanted him to do. “Mr. Jesus,” he said, “died for the bigots, too.” Jesus was calling him to the work of reconciliation: to work not only for justice, but also for genuine peace. Real peace is served by changing hearts through relationships, even with people on the “other side.” It’s easier and safer if we stay among people who believe as we believe, but following Jesus and proclaiming the Gospel often means moving out of the places where we’re comfortable and safe, and into places that aren’t so comfortable, and aren’t so safe, but where we are most needed. Recognizing how much God loves us, we see others as beloved children of God. No exceptions.

Each person is called to a unique role in working for the Kingdom of God. Living into that role is what it means to follow Jesus. It may demand a great deal and lead to places that surprise us, doing what we never anticipated doing. Nevertheless, we do this work willingly, because we have decided to accept the invitation to follow Jesus.