Daily Readings - Sun Jun 30 2019

¹⁶And you shall anoint Jehu, the son of Nimshi, as king over Israel. But Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who is from Abelmeholah, you shall anoint to be a prophet in your place¹⁹Therefore, Elijah, setting out from there, found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, plowing with twelve yoke of oxen. And he himself was one of those who were plowing with the twelve yoke of oxen. And when Elijah had gone to him, he cast his mantle over him²⁰And immediately, leaving behind the oxen, he ran after Elijah. And he said, "I beg you to let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him: "Go, and turn back. For what was mine to do, I have done concerning you.²¹Then, turning back from him, he took a pair of oxen, and he slew them. And he cooked the flesh with the plow of the oxen. And he gave it to the people, and they ate. And rising up, he went and followed Elijah, and he ministered to him

Galatians

Chapter 5

¹Stand firm, and do not be willing to be again held by the yoke of servitude¹³For you, brothers, have been called to liberty. Only you must not make liberty into an occasion for the flesh, but instead, serve one another through the charity of the Spirit¹⁴For the entire law is fulfilled by one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.¹⁵But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not consumed by one another¹⁶So then, I say: Walk in the spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh¹⁷For the flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. And since these are against one another, you may not do whatever you want¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law

Luke

Chapter 9

⁵¹Now it happened that, while the days of his dissipation were being completed, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem⁵²And he sent messengers before his face. And going on, they entered into a city of the Samaritans, to prepare for him⁵³And they would not receive him, because his face was going toward Jerusalem⁵⁴And when his disciples, James and John, had seen this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call for fire to descend from heaven and consume them?⁵⁵And turning, he rebuked them, saying: "Do you not know of whose spirit you are⁵⁶The Son of man came, not to destroy lives, but to save them." And they went into another town⁵⁷And it happened that, as they were walking along the way, someone said to him, "I will follow you, wherever you will go.⁵⁸Jesus said to him: "Foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests. But the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.⁵⁹Then he said to another, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.⁶⁰And Jesus said to him: "Let the dead bury their dead. But you go and announce the kingdom of God.⁶¹And another said: "I will follow you, Lord. But permit me first to explain this to those of my house.⁶²Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow, and then looks back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful lessons about commitment, freedom, and the call to follow God without reservation. The first reading from 1 Kings tells the story of Elijah calling Elisha to be a prophet. Elisha, though deeply rooted in his life as a farmer, leaves everything behind—his oxen, his family, and his familiar routines—to follow Elijah. This act of radical obedience is a testament to the transformative power of God’s call. Elisha’s willingness to let go of the familiar and step into the unknown reflects the kind of trust and surrender that faith demands. The second reading from Galatians shifts our focus to the nature of freedom. Paul reminds us that our freedom in Christ is not a license for self-indulgence but an invitation to live in service to others. He warns against allowing our fleshly desires to dominate us, urging us instead to be guided by the Spirit. This reading challenges us to consider how we use our freedom: do we use it to serve one another in love, or do we allow it to lead us into division and selfishness? True freedom, Paul teaches, is found in living according to the Spirit and fulfilling the law of love. In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus resolutely journeying toward Jerusalem, knowing the suffering that awaits him. Along the way, he encounters resistance and potential followers who are hesitant to commit fully. Jesus’ responses to them are striking: he rebukes the disciples who seek revenge, and he challenges would-be followers to prioritize the kingdom of God above all else. These exchanges underscore the cost of discipleship. Following Jesus is not a part-time endeavor; it requires total commitment and a willingness to let go of worldly attachments. These readings call us to reflect on our own lives. Are we like Elisha, willing to leave behind comfort and security to follow God’s call? Or are we like the hesitant followers in the Gospel, allowing fear or attachment to hold us back? The readings remind us that true freedom and fulfillment are found not in clinging to our own desires but in surrendering to God’s will and living in love and service to others. As we navigate our own journeys, may we embrace the radical commitment required to follow Christ, trusting that in doing so, we will find the freedom and purpose for which we were created.