Proper 8C’25
29 June 2025
Luke 9.51-62
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
“Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true: Sleeper awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Amen. – from Ephesians 5
At our worship team meetings, we begin with a brief period of worship, then we plan for upcoming services, and review past services. We also talk about anything that went wrong or failed to go as planned. At the conclusion we always say something like, ‘O well, we’ll get another chance next year to practice it all over again.”
That being said, everyone knows that there are moments of decision that are so rare and important they may never come again. A figure of speech we use to refer to moments like these is to call them, “watershed decisions.” A watershed is actually a geological term used to describe a ridge of high ground that rises between two bodies of water like two rivers and serves as a dividing line. Once a single drop of water crosses over the line it will flow into one body of water or the other, never to return. Figuratively, it signifies a turning point, a crucial event or period that marks a significant change, often in history or a person’s life.
As we reflect on history we can clearly see with 20/20 vision how one moment/one decision altered history.
Examples include Guttenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1463; the assignation of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary that set the stage for WWI; Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis’ he nailed to the Wittenburg church’s door; or the decision in 1945 to drop the first atom bomb on Hiroshima. After each of these decisions things would never be the same.
And, just a couple of years later, in 1947 a man named Sheldon “Red” Chaney opened a small burger restaurant in Springfield, Mo, called Red’s Giant Hamburg. That was nothing remarkable, but what he did next was, he made the watershed decision of creating the first “Drive-thru” window. Many may have laughed at the time but over the next few years thousands of thousands of restaurants joined in adding drive-thru windows.
Jesus managed to cram so much teaching, preaching, feeding, and healing into the last three years of his life. His miracles of healing had given life to so many in Israel, but as it became more evident to him – God’s plan was for the entire world, not just for those on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.
As you may recall when Jeus started talking about his death his disciples were disappointed, heartbroken and they tried to talk him out of it. When Peter tried to stop Jesus from his mission’s course, Jesus cried out out “Get behind me, Satan!” What Jesus was called to do was coming into a much sharper focus and the disciples didn’t like what they were hearing.
Then that one fateful day, Jesus got up, got dressed, ate breakfast and announced to his disciples that it was time for him to go up to Jerusalem: “he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” This was very specific language describing an intentional change in direction – it was time for Jesus to step up. The day he knew would come had finally arrived that would set in motion his final days on earth.
Ironically, even though Jesus was heading in the right direction not all were in favor. Reminiscent of Jesus’ birth, when they rolled into Samaria, there was found to be no room in Samaritan’s Inn for he and his disciples. His current disciples were dragging their feet, and those ‘newbies’ wanting to join up as disciples of Jesus ran into the stonewall of Jesus’ resolve and the real call and cost of discipleship.
The first of these would be disciples ran up to the caravan and said to Jesus, “I ‘ll follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered with a proverb: “Foxes have holes, and birds have nest but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” The would-be disciple created a new Hebrew word on the spot – ‘Yeahbut’ ‘Yeah but don’t you think it’s a good idea for us to rent an apartment?’ He had a friend with him and Jesus looked at him and said, “Follow me.” He answered Jesus, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus replied, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” The same word as the first guy, ‘yeahbut’ ‘Yeah, but what about my dad’s funeral? And what did you mean by calling my family dead?’ The third person approached Jesus and said, “Yeah, I will follow you, but first let me say farewell to those at my home.” ‘Yeahbut! Yeahbut! Yeahbut!’ All three weren’t ready, they didn’t grasp the watershed moment they had walked into. They liked Jesus and liked his message but they weren’t counting on having to have so much skin in the game, and all at once. ‘Can’t we wase into this thing. I mean following you is important but surely not more important than attending my dad’s funeral? Surely not more important than renting an apartment? Surely not more important than running back home to say goodbye to my girlfriend or boyfriend?’ Jesus was moving forward, he was on a mission, that was literally a matter of life and death. He had made a watershed decision and he couldn’t go back on it. He tells the three of them: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
In our baptismal covenant1 we modern day disciples are each asked: Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers? Will you persevere in resisting evil, and whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves? Our answer to each of these 6 questions is the same: “I will, with God’s help!” My dear friends I believe we are living in days where watershed decisions are being made. Where we are being asked not to be as church member but to be a follower of Jesus. No ”Ifs” “Ands” or “Yeahbuts”
Only “I will with God’s help” will do.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
From Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare
1 The Book of Common Prayer p.304-05