Word to the Wise
Monday, July 2, 2012 - Monday in the 13th Week in Ordinary Time
[Amos 2:6-10, 13-16 and Matt 8:18-22]Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord let me go first and bury my father." But Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead."
The United States is known for being one of the most "church going" cultures in the West. That does not mean, however, that we place religious observance at the top of our list of most preferred activities! Like the disciple in today's gospel scripture, we may put religious observance in second or third place if we have another priority that we consider more sacred. In the Mideast of Jesus' time (and today as well) the duty to take care of one's parents in their old age was very important and included seeing that they had proper burial. This duty assumes a "sacred" character. Jesus informs the disciple that the highest priority is to "follow him." Those who choose other priorities are "dead."
This command may seem harsh but it does not preclude family duty. Jesus simply warns us that faith in him cannot be one among many options for a disciple. When we are faced with what we consider (or our children may consider) another more attractive option, we may already be engaging in the same kind of thinking as that disciple. Jesus simply cannot be placed on the same level as a ball game or movie! The "privatizing" of faith that is so characteristic of our culture makes religious faith an "option" that is one among many. That is not what Jesus expects of a disciple. He must come first and then all other choices must be seen in the light of that choice. AMEN
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