The 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." 10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.  (2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 NRSV)

 

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village. 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 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." 59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60 But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:51-62 NRSV)

 

“VISITORS”

 

            Traveling can be exciting.  When you go to Canada, you fill out a form for the Customs authorities—who are you, where are you from, how long are you going to stay, and just why are you visiting—is it for business, or is it personal?  They look very serious when they ask this. Also, are you bringing large amounts of money into the country?  Everyone on the plane to Canada fills out a form.  Some are coming from the U.S.A. or another country and fill out the part marked “Visitors”.  Others fill out the section marked “Citizens”.  Those are the one returning home.  There are those who live there and others who are just visiting.

There is something about home.  It is a familiar place with things and people we know. Traveling lets you see other ways of doing things, new ideas.  The Canadians got rid of pennies recently.  They round up or round down when they give change back.  Sometimes it is interesting to see which way it goes.  Who gets the benefit?  But life is possible without pennies.  I didn’t think that was possible.  You can see new things and try them out.  That is the advantage to travel.  But in the end you return home.  It is where one’s roots are, one’s possessions, it is a place where you belong.

The Gospel reading talks about Jesus making some controversial statements.  As he turned to go to Jerusalem.  At a village of Samaritans who would not welcome them, some of the disciples wanted to rain fire down on them.  Jesus told them off about that idea and they went on to another village.  And when a person said that he would follow Jesus wherever he went, it turned out Jesus has no place he calls home.  Even the animals have homes compared to him. And he told another to follow him but he first wanted to go back home and wait until he was free of family obligations.  Jesus said that he wasn’t to wait before proclaiming the kingdom of God.  In fact, Jesus says that those who set out to follow and look back are not fit for the kingdom.

That is hard to hear.  It is not that Jesus is against home or family.  We live in homes and grow up in families.  We like to know where we will lay our heads, even if only as a visitor.  The danger of home, though, is that we can get too stuck in the familiar and comfortable.  When we do that, that is, make comfort most important in our lives, we forget to follow Jesus.  How does following Jesus make us uncomfortable?  We love our families and friends.  Jesus talked about welcoming all, even the stranger, and doing good to people we do not already know.  Sometimes Jesus challenges our cherished views.  For many people, the goal of life is having the most, having bigger and better things than everyone else.  Jesus says that there is more to life than that.

            When Jesus says that he has nowhere to lay his head but that he moves on to Jerusalem, he is on a trip.  That is where he will die for us; that is where his life’s purpose will be fulfilled.  It is a reminder that while he is in this world, he is not staying in an earthly sense.  It is a reminder that we, too, journey through life.  While we cherish home, we must not forget that we have another.  It is too easy to start to think that this life is permanent.  The reading from the Old Testament talks about the time the Lord took up the prophet Elijah in a whirlwind.  As he goes in stages toward it, Elisha, like his apprentice, will not leave him.  But finally the point comes and he is taken up into heaven.  Before that point, though, Elijah asks him what he wants him to do for him.  The answer is that since Elijah had the spirit, Elisha would like to have twice as much of that spirit.  Through Elisha, God will continue to speak to the people of God. 

            Of course, we do not hear Jesus’ words as commands to leave our homes.  Once in a while there are those who do.  My friends Paul and Laura have been missionaries in Bolivia for 18 years now.  They left what was familiar in Iowa for South America.  Now they are returning home.  While there they raised their three daughters.  We see that home is not just where you live, it is also how you live.  Christopher de Vinck tells the story of the day his father brought home a metal icon with the figure of Christ at the center and four angels, one in each corner, outlined in blue enamel.  It was hung above the fireplace over the years. 

“You see Christ there?” my mother whispered to me one evening as she pointed up above the fireplace.

“Yes” I whispered back.

“He loves you very much.”

            We can live lives following Jesus, knowing that we are here only for a time.  That idea can make us fearful, or can free us to find what following Jesus can do for our world.  Elizabeth Sherrill talks the end of trips, packing, the journey back.  She says that what makes it possible for her is to think of being at home the next day.  She recalled a friend in an area ministry who had a terminal cancer diagnosis.  But instead of only seeing the tragedy saw how this led to his being fully, finally home.  She ends her thought with this prayer:

Lord of the journey, help me to end my little earthly trips the way I want to end the longest one: looking ahead to the best of homecomings.

 

            We like to be on the go, but also like it when that comes to an end and we come home.  Home can be a place of great comfort, but also where we live our lives of faith. We are reminded that we follow Jesus who had no home here.  His serving God was his home and life.  It turns out that we are visitors to life, we are “a-just passing through”, as the old song goes.  We will be asked questions on our journey.  Where do we live?  That changes over the years. What are we bringing into this life?  Only what we were given.  How long are we going to stay?  That varies with each person.  Why are we here?  That is a very important question.

 

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