What's your excuse?

This week’s lectionary readings are pretty full of lessons for us. It’s hard to pick ONE thing to focus on, be it for my sermon or for this (virtual) time we have together. In doing some research and looking into the background of these texts I learned something interesting that points out how being aware of cultural and linguistic differences can really change the meaning of scripture for us.


Let’s focus on this part of the gospel reading (Luke 9:57-60):

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.”

To our sensibilities, Jesus must come across as pretty cold and lacking empathy. After all, the man had to bury his father, whom we assume must have JUST died. Surely Jesus could have allowed him time to mourn and finish his father’s affairs, right?

But here’s where those important cultural and linguistic differences come in. In the culture of the middle-east at that time (and in many parts still today) the last child who remained unmarried was expected to stay at home, NOT looking for a spouse or trying to establish their own home or family, to care for their parents until the last parent passed. THIS was the situation the man Jesus found himself in. Jesus called him to follow, but the man said “Let me bury my father first”, when in fact his father hadn’t even died yet.

Remember, earlier in this reading it says that Jesus had “set his face” to Jerusalem, where he knew his life would likely end. From what I know of Jesus, it sounds like he had reached a place (mentally and spiritually) where he just wasn’t going to listen to excuses. Still perfect in his love for us, Jesus was DONE with our apologias and gave the man an answer that may read as lacking charity.

What do YOU think? Is caring for an elderly parent a good enough excuse to put your own call (or just your life) on hold, indefinitely? I am torn, and I think the answer may vary based on a lot of other circumstances. I am certainly not here to judge YOUR circumstances.

For you to ponder I came across this list of “The Ten Lames Excuses in the Bible” compiled by writer Kenneth Berding. Some of them are just plain funny, but I wonder how many of them I have used (or TRIED) to use myself.

10 – That snake made me do it. (Eve in Genesis 3:13)

9 – That woman, that YOU gave me, made me do it! (Adam in Genesis 3:12)

8 – I would have DIED if I hadn’t eaten some of that red stuff! (Esau in Genesis 25:30)

7 – The rivers are cleaner back home. (Namaan in II Kings 5:12)

6 – My family ain’t much to speak of. (Gideon in Judges 6:15)

5 – I don’t speak no good. (Moses in Exodus 4:10)

4 – It’s only a few bleating animals. ( Saul in I Samuel 15:15)

3 – I’m too young. (Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:6)

2 – Gotta bury my father first. (an unnamed man in Luke 9:59 – his father wasn’t even DEAD yet!)

1 – I threw the gold into the fire and this calf came out. (Aaron in Exodus 32:21-24)

AND….my own special bonus “Honorable Mention” goes to: “Lord, he has been dead for 4 days and he stinks”, which was Mary (the sister of Lazarus) who was trying to make excuses FOR Jesus. Jesus was having NONE of it and raised Lazarus from the dead anyway. (John 11:39-43)