The Lord said to Elijah, “You shall anoint Elisha as prophet to succeed you.” The Judeo-Christian Scriptures is basically an account of the Creator-creature relationship that exists between the Lord God and the created universe. It is a relationship that was forged from the very first moment of creation and is characterized by the Lord God acting salvifically on behalf of creation. And as one goes through the different books of the Scriptures, one will realize that the Lord has always accomplished this through the help of men and women whom he appoints as his messengers and representatives among creation. In the history of the Lord’s journey with creation, these messengers have included, but not limited to, the prophets, judges, and kings. The First Reading today recounts the calling of Elisha whom the Lord raised from among the people to serve as a prophet. 
Elisha’s prophetic call came during the twilight days of the great prophet Elijah’s ministry. The call came at a time when the prophet Elijah was a man on the run because of the fierce battle he had waged against Jezebel and the prophets of Baal. In a cave on Mount Horeb where he had sought refuge from Jezebel, the Lord instructed Elijah to go seek Elisha and anoint him as his successor. Elijah came upon the young Elisha as he was ploughing with his oxen and wrapped him in his mantle. And even though Elijah didn’t utter a single word, Elisha understood the prophet’s gesture and promptly acted to answer the divine call. All that he requested was to be allowed to bid farewell to his father and mother. Knowing the itinerant manner of life that the prophets led, it was probably the last time he was going to see his parents. In his own unusual way, the prophet Elijah did not refuse Elisha’s request. 
In the Gospel reading, we get a different reaction (from Jesus) to a similar request by a prospective disciple. In response to Jesus’ invitation to follow him, disciple-to-be requested that he be allowed to go bury his father. Now it is unlikely that this individual’s father was dead and that the plans for his burial were underway. Rather, by requesting to be allowed to bury his father, this individual probably wanted to wait until his father had passed away before leaving home and following Jesus. Like Elisha, he too must have been aware of the fact that following Jesus would take him away from his family. Probably, he was the only son to his father and didn’t want to leave before carrying out his last obligation as a son of his father. Jesus responded to the man by telling him to  let the dead bury their dead. Whereas it wasn’t the exact response that the prospective disciple might have wanted, it should not be interpreted to mean that Jesus didn’t care for the man’s family or his wishes. Such an interpretation would give a different portrayal of Jesus who would later entrust the care of his mother to the beloved disciple (cf. John 19:26-27). Rather, Jesus’ response was meant to call the attention of prospective followers to the demands of discipleship.  
Together with the other prospective disciple who volunteered to follow Jesus, despite the demands of discipleship, we have told Jesus that we are ready to follow him wherever he goes or wherever he will take us. We made this pronouncement on the day we were baptized, and it still remains our answer should Jesus ask us how far we are willing to go in our discipleship. Following Jesus all the way is the call to which each baptized man and woman has responded. There is no turning back once a resolve has been made to follow Jesus, for “ he/she who turns his/her back on me was not fit to follow me in the first place,” says Jesus. It is a tough call to respond to, a tough journey that requires some serious deliberation before one embarks upon it (cf. Luke 14:28-33). But what is it about the following of Jesus that makes it such a demanding endeavor?
“ Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Following Jesus requires setting oneself free from any and all restrictions (the freedom about which St. Paul talks in the Second Reading). To a follower of Jesus, there are no holds barred when it comes to the mission. The entire world becomes both a disciple’s pastoral field and home. Like Jesus, a disciple’s life is lived for the other. Everything that a disciple has is put at the disposal of mission and for the good of the other. Nothing, not even the demands of the family, is to come between a follower of Jesus and the proclamation of the kingdom of God for which he/she has signed up. Responding to the call of Jesus is a radical step that should be made only by those who are ready.