As we start a new year and all that it may hold, and all we may be looking forward to or be concerned about, remember that the blessing was spoken before the Israelites set off to the desert. Blessing belongs to the moment of departure, not the moment of completion; it cannot be earned and is not dependent on outcomes. God's favour is not a reward for getting it right; it is the ground on which we stand and the place we move out from.
Following the reading Luke 9:57-62, where there are three responses to Jesus' invitation to follow him.
The first man may not even have been asked directly, but seems gung-ho to get involved.
The second seems to be bound by duty and "doing the right thing" in wanting to bury his father first.
The third wants to go back to sort out things with his family first.
Jesus appears to be harsh in his responses, but is emphasising that there is a cost to following him. What is it in our lives that is holding us back?
Comments
As we start a new year and all that it may hold, and all we may be looking forward to or be concerned about, remember that the blessing was spoken before the Israelites set off to the desert. Blessing belongs to the moment of departure, not the moment of completion; it cannot be earned and is not dependent on outcomes. God's favour is not a reward for getting it right; it is the ground on which we stand and the place we move out from.
The first man may not even have been asked directly, but seems gung-ho to get involved.
The second seems to be bound by duty and "doing the right thing" in wanting to bury his father first.
The third wants to go back to sort out things with his family first.
Jesus appears to be harsh in his responses, but is emphasising that there is a cost to following him. What is it in our lives that is holding us back?