At the beginning of the journey, three potential disciples appear. Their enthusiasm must have been tested, if not dented, as Jesus talks of the cost of discipleship. St. Luke frequently highlights the gentleness and compassion of Jesus, but when it comes to the commitment required of would-be disciples, He makes no attempt to soften the facts. To one who says he’ll follow Jesus “wherever you goâ€, Jesus replies that He’s in for a pretty rough ride, for He, Jesus, has nowhere to lay His head, He lives a nomad-like existence. To another who asks if he can bury his father, Jesus suggests that if he’s spiritually alive, maybe he should leave that task to others. Similarly, to the man who seeks permission to say goodbye to his folks, the response is that this is no time for shilly-shallying – he must look to the future, not to the past.
To be a Christian is to join Jesus on the road. Jesus’ message today encourages us to take stock of our situation and to seek His help. What the young priest wrote in his journal is true: in the end, what matters is not what I do for God but what God does in me and for me – if only I will let God do so.