Living in the Spirit
June 26, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 9:51-62

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’ –Luke 9:57-62

If we read this scripture carefully, we soon experience the realization that Jesus is attesting to being homeless. It brings to mind Blanche*’s statement in Streetcar Named Desire, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” Blanche was a character who skirted on the edge of reality until the end of the play when she loses all connection to reality. The play is a depressing commentary on our society and how we treat each other.

Jesus is challenging those who seek him to understand that he is the source of a new reality. It is a challenge to each of us to consider to what we conform our lives. He is not saying we should all live on the streets and hope someone feeds us once in a while. Nor is he saying it is bad to take care of aging parents or to be hospitable to our families. I think he is saying we need to prioritize our lives and live intentionally into those prioritizations. Jesus Christ is the beginning and end of our priorities and by coming into synch with him, we can know the reality of a life lead by love as the song goes not just for some but for everyone**.

Prayer: Lord, make us whole as individuals, as your followers, and as citizens of the world. Amen.

*Blanche is a character from the play, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

**From the song, What the world need now is love by Burt Bacharach and Hal David see at http://www.bacharachonline.com/bacharach_lyrics_chords/whattheworldneeds.html

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.