Thirteenth Sunday of the Year - C June 27, 2010

1 Kings 19: 16b, 19-21 Galatians 5: 1, 13-18 Luke 9: 51-62

In offering some reflections on the how God speaks to us today through the readings from Scripture which we have all heard, I am choosing to follow up, in a way, on the thought that Jesus’ comment about taking up the cross daily could be seen as using whatever opportunities present themselves to us in life are to be used for the benefit of others, however others are a part of our day to day life.

What I perceive the message of God suggesting to us today is that we ask ourselves a question: How can I be the best I can be? How do I look at the circumstances of my life and view them as opportunities, in the best possible way, to benefit not only myself but also others and, thus, do or be “the best.”

This question has two parts. On the one hand, there is the questions of “What is the best that anyone of us can be?” On the other hand, there is the question of “how” anyone of us can be that way.

What is the best that I can be? To try and understand this, walk through these thoughts with me. Whenever we set out do to something or make something. This could be simply cooking a meal, cleaning a room, working on some project, performing some task- at work, at home, at school - anywhere. Whatever we do is basically a reflection of ourselves. One approach, I suppose, is to do just what needs to be done in order to get it out of the way. Even in this case, what we do reflects me - even though not in the best way. Ideally, however, we try to perform whatever task in a way that “best” reflects ourselves. We use our abilities, our talents, our knowledge, what techniques have been gained, with the hope that what results is the best that can be accomplished.

With the eyes of the faith in God that we profess, our basic belief is that the ultimate source of who and what we are, the creator of the lives we possess, gave us life that we, in the best way we can, will reflect that goodness of God. Put in another way, the fundamental meaning or purpose of our lives is to reflect the goodness of the source of that life, God - in the same way in which we want anything we do to reflect ourselves.

The question then is, how best can I do this? It is in response to this question that we heard some examples given to us in the words of Jesus. How, specifically, does can we follow the one who is “God with us” in taking up the cross daily? In a way, it is like going to the source, checking the manual, reading instructions. Different individuals had come to the conclusion that it would be in following Jesus would allow them to be the best that they could be, so they pose the question to him directly - what would be involved for them.

To one of the questioners, following Jesus wherever he might go, to be the best person he could be, required an openness to the idea that growth, change or development would be a constant factor in his life. There would be “nowhere to lay his head.” There would be no fixed, unchangeable, set way of doing things. Something might occur in following Jesus that might require moving on from what had been.

To another of the questioners, the suggestion is made that what had been before is no longer. Those things which may have been a part of a former life, part of the way of living in the past, will not necessarily be part of what will come. Jesus tell him to :let the dead bury the dead.” Following Jesus means an openness to whatever might be ahead rather than being locked into, stuck, “buried” with what had been before.

To the third questioner, Jesus suggests that once the decision has been made to be the best, to follow Jesus as an example of the best, then do not be concerned with what has been left behind. A new life, a new way of life has been chosen.

What being this best, what seizing our own opportunities to benefit others and thus being reflections of the creator of life, of God, basically suggests is to always be willing to explore the possibilities of growth and improvement in the way the goodness of God is found in our lives.

To these answers of Jesus are added the thoughts of Saint Paul which we also heard. This perspective, this choice of following Jesus in this manner, gives us genuine freedom. It is a freedom that is lived in the Spirit with the potential for goodness, even greatness, that we otherwise might not realize we possess.

All of this takes courage. It takes a willingness to let go of some of the security of the past with an openness yo the possibility of what can be in the time to come. It can be frightening. It can be full of unknowns. But it is also a genuine freedom that can be ours, a freedom to be the best that we can, the best of what we are made to be, as images, as reflections of the goodness of our gracious God.