As the days of his being lifted up were coming to an end, Jesus made a firm decision to set out for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him.
They set out and entered a Samaritan village to prepare his entrance. But they did not want to receive him, because he was clearly on his way to Jerusalem. When they saw this, the disciples James and John said, “Lord, do you want us to say that a fire comes down from heaven and consume them?” He turned and scolded them. And they set out for another village.
As they walked down the street, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus answered him, “Foxes have their dens and the birds of the sky their nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
To another he said: “Follow me.” And he replied, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” He replied: ‘Let the dead bury their dead; instead you go and announce the kingdom of God ».
Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; first, however, let me take leave of those in my house ». But Jesus answered him: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then turns back is suitable for the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9,51-62).
Today, June 26, the Church reaches the XIII Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, liturgical color green). To comment on the Gospel of the Holy Mass is don Giorgio Garronepastor of the churches of Sant’Andrea Apostolo and Sant’Antonino Martire, in Bra.
Love, life, values, spirituality are contained in his reflection for “Splinters of Light, thoughts on the festive Gospels”, a column that wants to be a tender caress for all souls in this valley of exile. Thoughts and words that are like sparks to ignite the reasons for hope. Here it is, the comment.
Jesus has now understood what his mission will be: to be lifted up, passing through the lowest point: the humiliating and painful experience of the cross and the leap into the darkness of hell. Humanly, his attitude of reluctance and flight would be understandable, instead Luke emphasizes that, precisely from this intimate understanding of the outcome of his mission, springs the firm decision to set out on the journey towards the Jerusalem of martyrdom and glory.
Where did the Lord find so much, inhuman, courage? How have his wrists not trembled with fear, as he has resisted the temptation to allay the fears of the heart, through a dignified flight backwards? The evangelical reading of the earthly days of Christ does not allow us to make him a kind of Marvel superhero, without blemish and without fear. A sentence from the American actor John Wayne goes like this: “Courage is being afraid to death, and jumping on the saddle anyway!” Jesus of Nazareth did not skip the human experience of fear in the face of pain and the cross, but faced it, entering his mission with feet united.
His courage is the fruit of abandonment and trust, of the surrender to the good will of the good Father. It is also the fruit of generosity and dedication: to save man, the whole man and all men, he offers himself, without second thoughts, to the uphill journey towards Jerusalem.
Only from this point of view can we understand the consequent and radical demands of the Gospel, which follow his decision: whoever wants to be with him, whoever wants to follow him, must renounce compromises. The mission of the disciple is the same as that of the Master, the depth of trust in the Father, as the heart of the Son dwells, so must the heart of one who, from being baptized, have become a son in the Son, dwell.
Even today, as always, despite the tremors, the fear, the adversities that come our way, we receive from God the courage necessary to walk the ascent of our life, of our personal Jerusalem, and we give our freest trust in exchange.
«Splinters of Light»: thoughts on the festive Gospels of Don Giorgio Garrone