Reading: Gen. 18:16-33; Ps. 103; Matt. 8:18-22
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
LEARN TO FOLLOW THE LORD WITHOUT MAKING EXCUSES
The path to success is so rigorous, strenuous and competitive. The strong pass through it and are celebrated, while the weak will always quit or give up. Hence, a lot of people have not been able to achieve their goal in life because they always have excuses to give. Oftentimes we hear such people saying I want to do this but.., I could have done it but..., I thought of it but… I was almost there but...
This kind of attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when one of the scribes came up and said to him, ‘Master, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another man, one of his disciples, said to him, ‘Sir, let me go and bury my father first.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.’
Here, it seems as if the Lord Jesus was very harsh when he said that those who have chosen to follow him have no place to call their own or that those who died ought to be left on their own to be buried. This is not the case here; rather, Jesus is emphasising that to be his follower requires serious commitment and sacrifices at all times.
That following him requires a life of total self-denial, and the man who wishes to follow him most reflects thoroughly what following Jesus would entail. So Jesus made it clear that following him would mean giving up many of the personal comforts that one enjoys.
This is evident in the life of Abraham who was called to detach himself from his family in order to follow the Lord. And having separated himself completely from his family, he was able to relate with God more closely to the point that God can not hide anything from him. So in our first reading today, we heard how knowing about the destruction that was about to come before Lot, his brother, Abraham interceded on their behalf.
Here, Abraham was bold enough to bargain with God, as businessmen or women do when bargaining with a customer. Who could imagine someone bargaining with God who owns the universe? At first, we may think Abraham to be a bit rash to do such a thing. But the truth is that God was actually encouraging Abraham in the virtue of prayer.
Remember, God took the initiative by revealing His purpose to Abraham, His friend, who was moved to pray, based on what he knew of God’s character, attributes and person. This is possible when we choose to give up everything and follow the Lord.
Dear friends, for us to succeed in life we need to pass through some rigorous steps and stop making excuses. Sometimes the rigorousness of the paths may seem difficult and impossible, but in the end, they form the experience that will propel us to success and sustain us as well.
So as we journey through the rigorous path of success in our mission and vocations, let us be encouraged by the life of Abraham, knowing that none of our sacrifices and contributions in the mission of Christ and his Church will be in vain.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, following you requires giving up everything, teach us how to faithfully embrace our vocation and mission in life without making excuses. May we be ever more nourished by your word and find in it the fount of grace to journey the path of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.
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