Daily Readings - Sun Jun 30 2019
1 Kings
16Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.19So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.20Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you.Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?"21So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.
Galatians
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Luke
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"55But Jesus turned and rebuked them,56and they went to another village.57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."59He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."61Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family."62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in 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.