There is no escaping hecklers. Preachers, politicians, any public speaker will someday find themselves confronted by a heckler. A heckler is someone with their own agenda who is anxious to take advantage of a gathered, attentive audience to voice that opinion publically. In this week’s gospel text, Jesus encounters a “heckler.” But he then uses the seemingly unrelated concerns of this man to connect both the larger crowd and Jesus’ own chosen disciples to a clearer vision of true faithfulness and the nature of followership.

Jesus had been speaking to the crowd about the need for perseverance in the face of persecution. His focus was on the need for fearless faithfulness because of the assurance of God’s love and concern. Suddenly he is interrupted by a man demanding (obviously not request…