Luke 14:25–33
Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
The Gospel of the Lord
REFLECTION
Jesus was usually followed by large crowds of people, but were they his disciples?
As long as we are bound by the opinions of others, even if they be our parents, spouses, children or siblings — it is them that we follow. If we are being led by someone, do we not become their disciples? Similarly, Jesus tells us to give up all our possessions — these are not so much the things that we possess, but the things that possess us. If there is something that we own that constantly possesses our thoughts, are we its master — or is it ours?
Jesus once told a rich man, “Sell all that you own and distribute your money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The man went away sad, because he couldn’t bear to part with his money. But Jesus isn’t simply asking us to give up everything, he’s giving us the key to doing it — discipleship. A disciple is one who is willing to be taught; to empty himself of himself and have faith in the teacher. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” We cannot hope to do anything that Jesus asks us to do, without being his disciples — it is only by journeying with him that we can do all things; apart from him, we can do nothing.
Different things will be asked of different people, but what is being offered to us all is the same — salvation through Jesus Christ. What we need to ask ourselves is this — do I have enough faith to follow Jesus, confident that he will provide what is being asked of me?
