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Gospel Reading for September 30, 2026 – Luke 9: 57-62
NOT ALL CROSS AND SUFFERING
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
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When Jesus started his ministry, he left home and made Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, his main base. He stayed at the house of Peter and his brother Andrew. His three-year ministry was full of travel and must have been exhausting, especially with the lack of transportation, which is so different from what we have today.
This means that the Twelve were also exhausted. In the Gospel today, as Jesus was receiving responses from those he asked to follow him, his comments reaffirmed how his disciples had simply dropped everything they were doing and followed him. In Matthew 19:27 and Mark 10:28, we remember Peter saying, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” And Jesus answered:
“Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
In this life, following Jesus is NOT ALL CROSS AND SUFFERING. There is happiness, joy, and peace in living a fruitful life. We already have a foretaste of eternal life.
Lord Jesus, help us be your faithful followers, giving you priority above anyone or anything. Amen.
