July 2, 2018

Gospel: Mt 8:18-22
When Jesus saw the crowd pressing around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. A teacher of the law approached him; and said, “Master, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, let me go and bury my father first.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

Reflections
Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead To bury one’s father was one of the sacred duties of a son. When Jesus says, “let the dead bury the dead” he is using a hyperbole to express the urgency of proclaiming the Kingdom, a mission which supersedes all other responsibilities. However, to follow Jesus everywhere meant homelessness, “the Son has nowhere to lay his head.” While not all are called to give up family, discipleship to Jesus requires an interior freedom to go wherever the Spirit bids. As one finds oneself uprooted and “homeless,” one finds a home in every family that welcomes the Gospel of Jesus.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018