The immediacy of discipleship is of paramount importance. The call of our baptism is more urgent than anything else in our lives. Or, at least, that’s how it should be. Just like anything else in life that requires something from us, discipleship can take a back seat to other things that come along. Whether it’s the kids’ soccer game at one point in our lives, or lack of energy at another point, or so many life issues that come along, we can be derailed rather quickly from following God’s call the way we should be.
That’s how it was for the scribe in Jesus’ day. There was no way he could ever tear himself away from the things that tethered him to this world. Even assuming that his offer was genuine, it’s unlikely that he ever could have made good on his promise to follow Jesus wherever he went. Jesus wasn’t letting any grass grow under his feet; he had to go where people needed healing, where people needed to hear the Gospel.
We can too easily be tied to the things in this world that are dead. But our call is to live the life of the Gospel. May we all hear God’s word today and follow him with urgency.