Kathleen Rushton offers insights from Luke 9:51-62 for our journeying in discipleship.

Journey to Jerusalem Begins

We are on many journeys both individually and collectively. In the light of this fact of life, the emphasis on characters making journeys in Luke’s Gospel can offer inspiration and food for the journey.

Journeying in Luke-Acts

Luke begins with stories of journeying: Mary “set out” to visit Elizabeth (Lk 1:39); Joseph and Mary journey to Bethlehem and later to Jerusalem for the Passover (Lk 2:41, 44-45, 51). Jesus journeys with disciples to Jerusalem (Lk 9:51-19:37). And Luke ends the Gospel with disciples journeying (Lk 24:13-35).

As followers of Christ, we are known as Christians. But in Acts, “the Way” is the name used for believers. Paul, for example, introduces himself as a follower of “the Way” (Acts 24:14). This word, found over 100 times in the New Testament, is used both literally and figuratively to mean “way”, “road”, “journey” and “way of life”.

The movement in Luke is towards Jerusalem. In Acts, after the birth of the Church at Pentecost, disciples journey away from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. It is very clear that following Jesus is not static. It is about journeying and being on the way.

Jesus Journeys

Luke speaks of Jesus and the disciples as being joyful in the early days of his ministry. But this joy fades, and a tougher Jesus emerges before he is betrayed, suffers and is put to death (Lk 9:22; 9:44). Luke tells us of this change in Jesus: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51).

“Set his face” conveys a sense of determination. Jesus is “on the way” to a difficult destiny. For most of the journey, he speaks to those around him about the word of God, yet he speaks differently to the different groups around him.

Speaking to Disciples

The disciples are journeying with Jesus. In the nine chapters of Luke, the term “disciple” (mathētēs) is found more often than elsewhere in this Gospel. The expression, “Jesus said to his disciples”, is found eight times, followed by teaching.

The disciples are becoming hearers of the word and Jesus speaks to them mostly in words of encouragement and positive instruction.

Speaking to the Crowd

“The crowd” (ochlos) is mentioned 18 times in these chapters and the term “people” (laos) is found three times.

Jesus speaks in warnings to the crowd and calls them to conversion. To those who listen and become disciples Jesus gives positive instructions on discipleship.

Speaking to Opponents

The third group of people around Jesus is emerging as his opponents and adversaries. Among them are some Pharisees and lawyers. This group repeatedly confronts Jesus and resists his prophetic calls. Jesus speaks to them in parables about resistance.

We Journey

In this time and in our places we, too, are journeying into deeper discipleship — open to new learning and transformation. Like Mary we can “ponder in our hearts” along the way so as not to become fearful, stuck or resistant. We have different journeys that may challenge us at this time — one being the journey to healing the rifts in our families and sociey that have been highlighted during these latter months of the pandemic in our country.

Cultural Journey

In Aotearoa we're being encouraged to engage in the journey of dialogue with cultures different from our own. This requires acknowledging the failures as well as the highlights of our history and participating in actions that bring unity in diversity — for the common good of all God's people. We can act as if we're culturally deaf, or resistant to learning, or as disciples on the way.

When Samaritans refused hospitality to the messengers Jesus sent ahead of him, those messenger-disciples behaved in revengeful fashion — they wished destruction upon the Samaritans (Lk 9:52-54). Jesus rebuked their attitude even though it was understandable: the Samaritans and Judeans had 700 years of hostility and tense relationship between them.

But as they walked Jesus told them the parable of the Samaritan who crossed the road to attend to the wounded person. Jesus's hearers would have expected that a Judean layperson would have been the next one to follow after the priest and the Levite, and they were shocked — and challenged — that it was a Samaritan (Lk 10:31-33). Jesus's cultural recognition and acceptance

is also apparent in the story of the Samaritan who is the only one of the 10 lepers cured who returned to thank him (Lk 17:11-19).

Cosmic Journey

All people and nature are integrally on a cosmic journey in an evolving universe. We are learning from cosmology of the emergence and the expansion of our universe. Contemporary biology describes the evolution of life on Earth.

Often the Church fails to make a credible connection with science and particularly evolutionary science. It can be challenging for us to learn from the history of the universe that cosmology describes and the story of life that biology articulates. But in doing so we can discover that the fruit of the divine action of creation is answering the deepest intuitions of religion by giving us a fuller and deeper understanding of the ultimate reality of God.

Synodal Journey

We're also being called by Pope Francis to embark on the synodal journey — walking together and listening for the prompting of the Spirit among us. Like me, you may have joined a group in your area, or you may have discerned by yourself, what might help transform the Church. Although officially the diocesan phase of discernment has finished, the fruits of discussion and learning must continue.

The Synod itself does not happen until 2023 so there is still plenty of time for us to listen to the many different voices around us: those ostracised, dispossessed and undervalued by Church and society now.

Reverencing Earth Journey

“The way” evokes being earthed, embodied and walking in Earth. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability documents the damage inflicted by

humans. Yet time and again in other areas, we have seen change happen when we stand together and build people power. We can do that with climate change too.

The Laudato Si' Action Platform’s seven goals could offer us a way of becoming involved in the journey towards the healing of Earth.

Christ is with us in our journeying as disciples and, with the Spirit, is encouraging us to integrate the invitations, challenges and responsibilities of the diverse aspects we encounter — personal, family, cultural, cosmic, sustainable and synodal. This is all about being on the way — learning, encouraging, participating and avoiding becoming resistant.

For further information: Laudato Si’ Action Platform 

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 271 June 2022: 24-25