Dear all,
In Luke 9:51-62, the story of Jesus’ travel ministry begins. Jesus is now on the move! Luke is quick to establish Jesus’ resolve to embark on a journey that will end in Jerusalem: ‘51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.’ He is also establishing the nature of discipleship here. This passage stresses the radical character of the call to join Jesus in positioning ourselves so fully towards God’s will that all other commitments and considerations are relativised. Here we learn from Jesus that radical discipleship is a commitment that will always involve a bit of a shaking-up of our conventional and settled ways of living.
We see that in Luke’s story here, we do not encounter a ‘standstill Jesus’. Instead, it looks like we encounter Jesus as someone who seems open to whatever comes, to whatever happens. Luke has crafted an account here that is teeming with terms about travel and this offers us a picture of discipleship as a journey. Also, we find that the passage concludes with a reference to the forward movement of a plow: 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Certainly, these are not soothing, settling verses for anyone who suffers with travel sickness!
All this talk of travel invites hearers to consider patterns of living that may be very different from what they are used to. Perhaps, with us mostly, and thankfully, enjoying the gift of being a settled, stable people, attached to the safe environment of a comfortable home, we are not adequately prepared for discipleship. Perhaps, a willingness to move in some way, to change something or some habit or pattern in our lives will help nudge us forward in our journey of discipleship. What might need to change for you? For us as a church?
In this passage, we are reminded that following Jesus means embracing change with courage and openness. As Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, he modelled determination to move forward despite resistance. His encounters remind us not to cling to comfort, tradition, or excuses, but to trust God’s call into new journeys. This will mean welcoming transformation, adapting to new realities, and embodying love in evolving contexts, just as Jesus did. Faith is lived by walking boldly, letting go of comfort, and living with love for all.
With much love,
Open our eyes, Lord, to see you in others,
open our ears, Lord, to hear your word,
open our hearts, Lord, to put your love into action.
Amen.