9/30/2026 (Wednesday) Today’s Gospel reading: Luke 9:57-62
57 As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
59 And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
60 But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
61 And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
62 Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
9/30/2026 (Wednesday) Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Luke 9:57-62
Theme: Putting God First
Three people express their desire to follow Jesus. One is ready to go wherever He goes, another is invited to follow but wants to attend to family responsibilities first, and a third wants to say goodbye to those at home before beginning the journey. Jesus uses these encounters to teach that following Him requires commitment, readiness, and a willingness to make God the first priority in our lives.
F — Faith over Fear
Following God often means stepping into places we cannot predict. We may want to know where the road will lead, what will happen tomorrow, and whether everything will work out before we say yes. But faith does not require us to have the whole map. It asks us to trust the One who knows the destination. When fear tells us to stay where we are, faith reminds us that God can guide us one step at a time.
I — Intentional Commitment
There is a difference between admiring Jesus and genuinely following Him. It is easy to say that we want to serve God when everything is convenient. Commitment becomes real when following Him requires sacrifice, patience, forgiveness, or courage. A committed heart does not wait for perfect circumstances. It chooses to remain faithful even when the journey becomes difficult.
R — Remove What Holds You Back
Sometimes the greatest obstacles are not outside us but within us—attachments, excuses, unhealthy priorities, resentment, excessive concern about what others think, or our constant desire for comfort. Following God may require us to let go of something that prevents us from moving forward. Letting go does not mean that we stop loving people or fulfilling our responsibilities; it means that nothing is allowed to take God’s rightful place in our hearts.
S — Stay Focused
The third person in the passage wants to begin following Jesus but is still looking backward. This reminds us how easily we can become trapped by yesterday. We remember past failures, missed opportunities, painful experiences, or the life we once had. But God calls us to move forward. We cannot change yesterday, but we can choose what we do with today. A focused heart learns from the past without allowing the past to control the future.
T — Trust God with Tomorrow
Putting God first does not mean that we will understand everything immediately. It means trusting Him even when the next chapter is unclear. We may have unanswered questions, unfinished plans, and responsibilities waiting for us. Yet we can continue walking with confidence because our future is not outside God’s care.
The message of the Gospel passage is ultimately about priorities. Jesus is not asking us to abandon love, family, work, or responsibility. He is reminding us that when God is truly first, everything else finds its proper place.
FIRST is more than a word; it is a daily choice: Faith over fear, Intentional commitment, Remove what holds us back, Stay focused, and Trust God with tomorrow.
When we put God first, we may not always know where the road will lead—but we can trust that we never walk it alone.
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