Unfortunately, I have acted in this manner before—telling God I want to obey him but then stalling or trying to wiggle my way out. We start with good intentions to please the Lord; our genuine heart wants to follow and obey. It sounds easy to do, but when we’re put to the test, it never seems to be convenient. There are things we want to do first, or the timing isn’t right and a myriad of other excuses start to pile up. Today’s Gospel reading gives us a perfect example of a man who wants to follow Jesus, but only after he takes care of burying his father. Jesus basically tells him, “It’s now or never!” He doesn’t ask us to obey tomorrow, in two weeks or five years from now—it’s today! Obedience is not easy, especially when it’s not on our terms. Matthew 26:41 says “…the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” and that is the truth. Living this life is about battling our flesh every day. We are called to pick up our cross and follow him. What is more important than that? |