In this week's gospel Jesus has three different conversations with people about becoming disciples. The first is with a person who says that they will follow him wherever he goes. To this person he says, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head." The second is with a person Jesus calls to follow him, who asks that he first be allowed to bury his father, to which Jesus replies, "let the dead bury their own dead." And the third is with a person who says they will follow Jesus right after they say goodbye to their parents, and to this Jesus says, "no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
In these three interactions Jesus highlights for us at least three forms of resistance that might keep us from responding to our deepest callings. The first is the inherent restlessness that accompanies such a call. Jesus knows that when we respond to a desire or call in our lives there is always something uncertain about it and, when followed whole-heartedly, will likely lead to a lifetime of searching and questioning. The second is the instinctive reaction to find an excuse as to why we cannot do what we feel called to do, even when these reasons are legitimate. The third is the pull of the past, and how our regrets and worries about what has been can affect our ability to respond in this moment to what our call is now.
Do you recognize any of these three working in your life? What are you feeling called to today? What forms of resistance are holding you back from responding to that call? Take some time to share you thoughts with the group.
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