Do families still do road trips?
Two years ago my husband & I took 3 of our grandchildren on a road trip of
sorts. We traveled with them through southeast NM while their parents enjoyed a
second honeymoon for their 10th anniversary. It was a fun time,
although we had forgotten how stressful and yet invigorating it can be to travel with children aged
4-8.
When we first set out, they were
excited to be on the way. In the same way, the disciples felt honored and
thrilled to be asked by the up and coming young rabbi, Jesus, to follow him.
Can you hear them whispering to each other?
“This will be great. Think how
much we’ll learn.”
“I wonder what amazing things
we’ll see.”
“When we get home, everyone will
want to hear all about where we’ve been and what we did.”
“It doesn’t matter where we go,
it’s just exciting to be on the road with Jesus.”
The same thing happened to Ken
and me on our trip with the grandkids. You see things you’ve seen before with
new eyes when children are along. You look for things to delight them, like the bats at Carlsbad Caverns and stopping for ice cream treats.
The disciples probably saw
things with fresh eyes, too as they traveled with Jesus. Certainly this young
rabbi was like no one they knew. He was not afraid to talk to any and every one.
He was always willing to stop and listen and to reach out a hand to touch those
in need. To the disciples, this was all new and exciting. People were flocking
to see and hear their master. Even lepers didn’t make him fearful.
“A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me
clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and
said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly
warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing
to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing
what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But he went out and began to
proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but
stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.” (Mark
1:40-45)
We probably all remember the
scene in the movie Wizard of Oz when Dorothy opens the door to her house after
it lands. Rather than the drab grayscale landscape of Kansas,
is the colorful and strange land of the Munchkins of Oz. “I don’t think we are
in Kansas anymore,” she tells
faithful Toto. Instead of diving back under the bed, though, she steps bravely
out into the bright light and is greeted by the enthusiastic song of the
residents.
Everything was new and bright
and exciting and interesting to Dorothy and to the disciples as they set out on
their journeys. Maybe you have felt that way when starting a new ministry or
felt God’s call on your life. Everything is bright and possible.
Even Naomi probably felt that Moab
was a haven compared to the famine back in Bethlehem.
We don’t get her thoughts in the Bible, but if you read between the lines, it
would seem that life was better in Moab
because they decided to ‘remain there’. “The
name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of
his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.” (Ruth 1) Life is
looking up. What could possibly go wrong?
How often do you feel that
excited about being a Christian and following Jesus? It can be easy to take
faith for granted and slip into the same old routine of prayer and worship and life. Then we see faith through the eyes of a new Christian or
someone who has just returned from a marvelous retreat time and we are reminded of how wonderful our God is. Are there new
opportunities for you in your Lenten journey this year? What new plans does God
have for you? You probably won’t travel to Oz or Moab.
This week, I challenge you to look at your life-ministry, work, family, free
time, etc. with the fresh eyes of a child or the excited eyes of the disciples
as they first set out with Jesus. What are some possibilities you are missing? Next time we’ll look at a few things that might bring us up short in our Road to Home.
