We don’t own Jesus! No matter how sincere we are about being his disciples, it is much too easy to take him up the wrong way. Mainly this consists of trying to fit something he has said into a framework of understanding that will leave us feeling comfortable, that will fit into our normal social context, that will not put us too much out of step with our neighbours. We naturally shrink from being seen as radical, unusual, uncool. Well sorry, Jesus is aiming to change some of that, because no society is without its faults, and we are not yet in God’s perfect kingdom. Even in “Godzone” New Zealand, some things have to change for the better, and that means making some people uncomfortable for a while, especially ourselves if God has called us to be his change agents.
In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus’ disiples and some other would-be followers get a bit of a tuneup from the boss. Luke has set it down in writing so we can get a little of the same treatment!
You can hear what I have to say about this text here….
Howard Pilgrim