(A sermon for Luke 9:51-62 Presented at Christ Christ, Bordentown, NJ, June 28-29, 2025)

Dealing with change is an unusual thing, wouldn’t you say? We can voluntarily change some things. Other times, change occurs without our consent. In both cases, we can have either a happy or not-happy emotional reaction to the change.

For example, you voluntarily buy a lottery ticket. You win by chance a billion dollars. You can now live comfortably but also you choose to spend a lot on luxury items. Add in a few bad investment choices, and before you know it, those winnings disappear. More bills are due than you can pay, and you have to declare bankruptcy and are forced to live in a van down by the river. Like I said, some changes you choose, some you don’t. Some make you happy, some don’t.

So we’re always in a situation of change, and we’re always trying to control change. For the most part, the changes we experience generally center around rules…rules of order, and how some rules disappear, and new ones emerge.

When we get married or add children, we’re merging someone else’s rules with our own. When the weather rains out a day on the beach, nature’s rules collide with our own. Or when someone ghosts you or gives you the silent treatment, there’s now a bunch of unknown rules.

Whatever the circumstances, it’s not as if we have a problem with change in of itself, it’s what it’s changing to is the concern. What will the new rules be and can I abide by them?

Thus when new rules are presented, we sometimes dig our heels in and resist, and sometimes we have faith and trust that the outcome will be in our favor.

Today’s Gospel gives us two tales that demonstrate reactions to new rules.

The first is the Samarian village that won’t receive Jesus. They perceive that Jesus is just using Samaria as a rest stop on his way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans’ rift with Jerusalem goes back centuries, and their religious practices and beliefs, though similar to those of the Jews, were different in some important respects. They did not recognize any writings of the prophets, and their expectation is that the future messiah will restore the faith on Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem.

Despite Jesus’ efforts to spend time with the Samaritans, and provide them with the new rules of His teachings, they dig their heels in. But as we know, this is only temporary and Jesus will return to them for future conversion.

And then you have James and John (the sons of thunder, who want to in a categorical fashion rain down fire on the Samaritans). Jesus teaches them that in their partnership with Him, they will need to put their feelings of ill will aside and show compassion in the face of those rejecting him.

In the other tale, Jesus encounters three folks who want to follow his rules. But they have other rules they want to follow too. And now He contends specifically with their expectations of merging their old rules with Jesus’ new rules.

The first person is told by Jesus that if you follow Him, you cannot always expect the choice to align with your earthly desires of comfort.

The second person who wants to bury his father and provide a customary funeral is given a choice. Be a disciple of God, or stay with the spiritually dead that don’t follow the new rules.

The third person tells Jesus, “I’ll be back after I finish a few things at home”. Jesus responds there is no going back.

All five examples, particularly the last three, portray Jesus as almost aloof. “You want to follow me, great. If not, suit yourself.” But his reactions instead point to a level of discipleship that is more than just simply following. It’s a commitment to Jesus’ new rules. And each person as a disciple, is left to discover within themselves what is causing them to resist.

Jesus as a leader was pointing to a Way. When we think more about Jesus’ notion of discipleship, it wasn’t to dismiss the importance of these other matters that we have _ but to show that one Way can be what matters the most _ and to give into that notion, and let the grace of God into your life. It will seem costly giving up your old rules. But the more you accept God into your life, to be there all day and every day, you will begin to recognize that it didn’t cost as much as what you gained in return.

As disciples and humans, when it comes to following Jesus, we at times will still dig our heels in and resist, and other times have complete faith and trust in God’s Way.

But during times of resistance, think about following Jesus like playing the lottery. It takes the simple task of buying the ticket and taking a giant step of faith. The difference is that every ticket is the winning ticket. And as long as you remain steadfast, diligent, and wise, you’ll get to enjoy those winnings for the rest of your life.

Amen.

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and now for a song that inspired this sermon …