I was privileged to give this sermon at Saint John’s, in Lancaster Ohio and Saint Paul’s, in Logan, Ohio – Episcopal Churches June 29th, 2025.

Listen to it here.

Today’s lessons are about the importance of commitment in living a life in Christ.

In our gospel reading for today from Luke, we hear that Jesus has entered into the last part of his three years of ministry. Jesus is aware that as he travels towards Jerusalem, he is traveling toward his own death. Yet, even as Jesus is aware of his fate, he “sets his face to go to Jerusalem”. Jesus is committed to follow the path that God has asked him to take, even unto his own death.

Commitment.

When I was a senior in high school, I had completed the course-work that prepared the student for further study in college or university. I made pretty good grades, I had a solid 3.6 grade point average. I had completed all the math and science courses that my high school offered. I had completed extra project work in science – reproducing the Michelson–Morley speed of light experiments over a six month period. I had also completed an elective composition course, where we wrote three research papers on any historical topic and presented these papers to the class.

The natural choice of secondary education for me was to go to the University of Akron. I lived in Summit County. Akron U is a 30 minute commute from my parents’ house. However, although my parents could provide room and board, and a car for commuting to school; they did not have the means to cover my tuition.

I decided that I would join the Navy, and save money to go to college to study Electrical Engineering. I had a plan. A nine year plan. Four years in the Navy. Five years at Akron U including a year of paid internship to pay for my last two years of Engineering school.

At eighteen years old – I committed myself to a nine year plan.

Returning to our gospel lesson from Luke, we have an interesting passage. The people in the next town in Samaria seeing that Jesus and his disciples are heading toward Jerusalem would not let them enter their village. And Jesus’ disciples James and John ask Jesus if they should pray for God to rain fire down on the village.

Our gospel lesson today – makes several references to the ministry of the prophet Elijah.

Earlier in Luke chapter 9, we have the story of the transfiguration, where Jesus, Peter, James and John meet with Moses and Elijah. So it is not surprising that James and John still had that encounter with Elijah in mind when they meet these Samaritan villagers. On three separate occasions, Elijah called down fire from heaven, so James and John perhaps feeling hurt that the Samaritans would not let them stay in their village, wanted to also call down fire to consume them.

Jesus himself in our gospel reading uses a reference to Elijah saying that the commitment of a follower of Christ must be stronger than Elisha’s commitment to God, when he was called to follow Elijah while plowing a field. This passage is found in First Kings chapter 19. Elisha asked to say goodbye to his parents – just as the man asks Jesus in our Gospel passage – and Elijah allowed Elisha to say goodbye to his parents.

But Jesus takes a harder view on commitment.

“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”

It is interesting that in our old testament reading for today, we have another example of commitment from Elisha. It is at the end of Elijah’s life just before he is carried up to the heavens in a whirlwind. Elisha stays with him to the moment that he is carried away. Elisha is rewarded for his commitment and loyalty by being granted twice the spirit of Elijah.

Going back to our gospel reading, Jesus asks another man to follow him. The man asks to be permitted to bury his father first. Jesus’ response, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Commitment, above and beyond the commandment to honor one’s parents.

This passage in the gospel of Luke contrasts the old testament agreement between God and man and our new testament relationship with God as taught by Jesus Christ. The old testament agreement was to follow the law given to Moses. To follow the dietary restrictions, the rituals of behavior and conduct.

The general conception is that God as described in the old testament was much harder, rigid, a stickler for the law of the ten commandments. That Jesus Christ in the new testament, or this new agreement, teaches us a more gentle, compassionate relationship with our God.

In the case of the Samaritan village – yes – we Christians do not believe in destroying someone just because they want to go their own way. Just because they believe something different is no reason for them to be our enemy.

However, that does not mean that our commitment to God, living into the example set by Jesus Christ is any less, and in the case of our lessons today – Jesus expects us to be far more committed to the establishment of the kingdom of God than the old testament prophets in following God’s commandments. We do not have to follow the old testament laws and rituals, but we are expected to follow instead the spirit of the law. To love our neighbors at least as much as we love ourselves. And if we can, to love each other as God loves us.

What an extraordinary commitment that Jesus asks of all of us!

Rather than obey to letter of the law, a complicated set of regulations, and obligations: Jesus teaches us to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. This is not just a requirement to return good for evil. This is an obligation as in the parable of the Good Samaritan to help those in need and through our actions make our communities better places to live. That we, as we live in Christ, we are bringing about the kingdom of God.

Living in Christ is not an obligation imposed from without, like obeying a law, it is rather a responsibility, a commitment we accept from within, a freely given sacrifice of our time and effort.

The law of the old testament was that you follow the rules, the rituals, and you were forgiven. You break the rules go against God’s law and you will be punished. Everyone who had this testament, this agreement with God was stuck in this purely transaction relationship with God.

In the Christian understanding of the kingdom of God, we are already forgiven. God has forgiven all of us of our sins against Him and each other. Jesus asks us to commit to the spirit of the law as our freely given sacrifice to God, and to bring that understanding of the kingdom to everyone around us.

Not everyone is ready to make that commitment.

There were three men in our gospel passage who were called by Jesus to follow him. To the first Jesus replied that to follow him would mean that that man would be homeless – as Jesus himself has no home. To the second man whose father had died, Jesus replied that he should proclaim the kingdom of God, rather than bury his father. To the third man who wanted to say goodbye to his family, Jesus replied that he should not look backward but ever forward to the kingdom of God.

It does not appear that any of these men became disciples, but Jesus did not condemn them. Jesus was strict perhaps, but the decision to commit to the kingdom must come from within each one of us, when we discover what God is calling us to do.

In our lesson from Galatians, Paul gives us an idea of how to discern our calling. “For freedom Christ has set us free”. We are free to commit ourselves to that calling which fills us with the fruits of the spirit.

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Generosity

Faithfulness

Gentleness

and Self-Control

Once we find that calling; we need to commit to it to the exclusion of all else, ever looking forward, because this is how we ourselves will proclaim the kingdom of God.

All that sounds pretty good, and it is good – but it is not easy. There will be setbacks, there will be problems. We can mistake our calling, and have to re-evaluate our path forward.

I was called to be an Electrical Engineer, and a father and husband and now (pause) a preacher. When you find your place in the kingdom – you will know – and I believe you will not look back, but will look ever forward, committing your life to the kingdom of God.

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Galatians 5:1,13-25

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Luke 9:51-62

When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “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, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead 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 a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”