Cost of Discipleship

09-08-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Julius Kundi

”If anyone comes to me without turning his back on his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be my follower,” (Luke 14 :26).

The Church is again taking us back to this unpopular theme about the cost of our loyalty to Christ our Lord. This statement above from the gospel sets a real challenge for both the preacher and the listener. As listeners, l know you will not need explanation of Christ’s words about carrying the cross, because you are more familiar with that teaching , but you definitely will need some convincing of what He meant by “hating father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters” – a teaching that seems to fly in the face of natural affection. Indeed the ways of God are mysterious! However let's see if we can get some answers from the readings.

Yes the church in its wisdom selects the first reading from the Book of Wisdom which instructs us to ask for the gifts of discernment and strength from the Holy Spirit so that we may do the will of God as His true disciples. Truly, we need this gift of divine discerning to understand what St. Paul teaches us in the second reading that detachment and renunciation are necessary for a true disciple of Christ. Also, we need same gift to understand what the Gospel is reminding us today about counting the cost of being a true disciple and follower of Christ.

Indeed the cost high. Primarily l can identify four conditions for true Christian discipleship in the gospel: I) Renounce too much attachment to family, giving priority to God and His commandments. II) Break off the excessive attachment to possessions by leading a detached life, willingly sharing one’s blessings with others. III) Accept the hard consequences of discipleship which include daily sacrificial service done for others and even the giving of one’s life for them. IV) Calculate the cost involved in following Jesus. Using the two parables of the tower-builder and the king defending his country, Jesus says to think long and hard about ALL these before you make the decision to be His disciples.

The true message here is the understanding that God is not in any way in any form of competition with our family, parents, brothers and sisters for our love. However, Jesus wants us to understand that God comes first in our lives, nobody and nothing can become His rival. Theologically, giving God the first place, on the other hand, assures us that we practice true love to all people and give each person his rightful place. Don't forget, Jesus has often taught that our love for neighbor is the real test of our love for God. In other words, it is mainly in our caring and serving attitude to our neighbor that we cooperate with God’s plan.

Our love for people can never be an excuse to surrender our love for God. Let us pray therefore for a discerning wisdom into the mystery of our salvation so as to follow Christ faithfully and in spirit.

Fr. Julius

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