It’s the season for summer vacations. Families are packing up the cars with luggage, cloth folding chairs, tents, toys, water softeners, everything needed to make the vacation comfortable. Along with all of this, fathers everywhere are setting their minds on their destination. As I speak right now there are at least 1,000 fathers telling their children to, “Go to the bathroom before we leave because we are not going to be stopping.” As I speak right now there are another 1000 fathers telling their children that, “No, we will not stop to see the largest ball of lint…did I say we would stop to see the largest ball of lint?” As I speak right now there are another 1,000 fathers telling their children to "hold it for another 15 miles" because, “I said we are not going to be stopping.” Yet another 100 fathers are so focused on the road that they have not noticed the early demise of their pet parakeet in the back of the vehicle. These fathers have their destination in mind and nothing is going to dissuade or detour them from heading toward their destination.
With his destination in mind and the disciples packed in the backseat, Jesus is on the road. And, similar to thousands of fathers out there, he is set on his destination. His eyes are fixed on Jerusalem. He is not going to be taking any detours. And, “Yes Simon Peter, you are going to have to hold it for another 15 miles.”
Similar to every father out there, Jesus’ travel plans are constantly be threatened. Chances for detours are everywhere. An entire Samaritan village, men, women, and children all hanging out the windows of the packed car, speeds by and cuts Jesus off. “Step on the gas Jesus;” “Ride their tail…see how they like that;” “Follow them off the exit. I’ll roll down the window and hurl flaming balls of fire at their tires;” James and John shout in turn from the backseat.
“Get back in your seat, don’t make me come back there James. John, get your head back in the window, don’t make me stop!” Jesus’ narrowed eyes in the rearview mirror punctuate his harsh words. “You don’t take a detour just because someone has trampled on you. Turn the other cheek, don’t get distracted. We are on a mission of forgiveness here, we aren’t going to get detoured,” he teaches, eyes becoming gentler.
Soon, Jesus’ car is parked on the side of the road, still pointing towards Jerusalem, with the flashers on. No they aren’t broke down…you guessed it, he’s picking up hitchhikers. Typical Jesus move…he stops for the hitchhikers, but not for the bathroom. The hitchhiker peers through the window. “Going to Jerusalem? I’ll go with you to Jesus.”
"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head," Jesus tells the man.
Having compassion on the baffled fellow, Peter chimes in, “He means we don’t stop to stay at hotels or even tent camping. We don't stop to go shopping. We almost never stop at all…except for hitchhikers,” Peter glares at Jesus feeling his bladder throbbing. “We don’t get detoured from our mission,” Peter finishes. Jesus pulls away and drives on.
Pulling off on an exit and stopping at the first farm on the right, Jesus hangs his scraggly beard out the window and says to a couple just getting into their car, “Hey, we’re going to Jerusalem. Follow me.”
That is his way you know. He always says “follow me.” He never says “worship me,” or “give me something for now and follow me at a more convenient time,” just “follow me.”
The couple looks at each other, seems to discuss (It’s his mesmerizing eyes that cause them to even discuss following in the first place), and, rolling down the window again the wife says, “We’re on our way to his parent’s funeral, we’ll catch you afterwards.
Jesus says, “Can the kingdom of God wait? Can forgiveness wait? Can loving a neighbor wait? Can showing an enemy what love looks like wait? You are telling me that helping someone who is starving can wait? You’re life is getting detoured. Set your eyes toward God’s kingdom instead.”
Further down the road they are again stopped. I shouldn’t say stopped, they are moving almost imperceptibly slow as Jesus talks to a guy on a riding lawnmower. James and John are trying to shove each other out the car window.
“Sure, I’ll come. Let me say goodbye first,” the lawnmower man says.
“There’s always something that comes first isn’t there,” Jesus points out. “Do you think we are going to make it to Jerusalem if you keep looking in the rearview mirror? The past is the past. What is behind is behind. How are you going to drive anywhere if you aren’t looking forward? How are you going to get to Jerusalem if you can’t see where you are going. Keep your eyes ahead, what is in behind is of no consequence. Follow me and your life will make sense.”
And with that, Jesus speeds up again, traveling toward Jerusalem.
And that was the way Jesus’ trip towards Jerusalem occurred. That was the way Jesus' trip towards forgiveness and new life occurred. He kept asking people to follow. Some would climb into the car. Bathroom breaks became more urgent as people’s bladders stretched from the weight of those sitting on their laps. Other people would promise to follow, but always put something else first. They always had something that they needed to wrap up first. You see, the thing these people didn’t understand was that, “the cure for the craziness of life isn’t to wait until we’ve got everything neatly packaged and put together, and then we have time to follow Christ. Rather, it is in following him that our life finally works and makes sense” (Schenck, Carl A., Lectionary Homiletics, June/July 2007, 48). The best you can do for the world and yourself is to turn your back on all that craziness and listen to the words, “Follow me.” Take the time to follow Christ Jesus on his trip toward forgiveness and a new way of life.
In addition, do not forget that the single greatest thing you can do for anyone else is to give the gift of invitation to follow with you. Stick your head out the window, invite them to drop the craziness of life that they've been carrying around, and tell them to follow along. The invitation to follow is always open. Jesus never turns away anyone who truly wants to go on the trip.
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