FIRST READING: 1 Kings 19:16; 19-21. The Lord said to Elijah, “Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abehneholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.” And Elijah found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.
SECOND READING: Galatians 5: 1; 13-18. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brethren, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.
GOSPEL: Luke 9: 51-62. When the days drew near for Jesus to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; but the people would not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
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By anointing Elisha in his place on God’s bidding, Elijah acted in great freedom. He chose the most lowly of persons for a most exulted job, a choice which defies the ‘logic’ of the world. However, Elijah, reflecting God’s preferences and will, is not bound with such a logic; he transcends it. He is able to do this because his spirituality sees no distinction of rank whatsoever; he sees all people as equal, and acts accordingly.
Paul shouts out this belief loud and clear: For freedom Christ has set us free! Perceiving the Church as a community in which no lords exist but only brothers and sisters, Paul proclaims a new social and political economy where all are respected not for whatever social status anyone might have but merely for their dignity as human beings.
This is the discipleship which Jesus preached. It is a discipleship which leaves behind the divisive and unequal structures of the world to take up a new vision to fraternity, liberty and equality. Following Jesus is assuming for oneself his vision for society and the world.
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