Demands of Following Christ
Wisdom 9:13-18ab; Psalm 90; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33
Every missionary knows how difficult it is to leave a family and a native country behind and go to the ends of the world to preach the Gospel. His father embraces him in his strong arms, his mother draws a cross on his forehead, brother and sister tell him to send some photos from an exotic place. But in their hearts there is the pain of separation and uncertainty about seeing each other again. The world today is such an unsafe place and the number of those persecuted for Christ is growing. When will he come back?. He does not know.
Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem, the place where the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection would take place. “Great crowds were traveling with Jesus” (Luke 14:25). But who among them knew the true identity of Christ and His mission? For them, He was a prophet from Nazareth who taught with power and performed miracles. Majority accompanied Him out of curiosity and so Jesus turned towards them and spelled out three conditions of following Him.
(1) “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). In the book of Genesis, we have a story about Jacob and his two wives – Leah and Rachel. The Bible tells us that “Leah was hated” which means that Jacob “loved Rachel more than Leah” (Gen 29:30-31). In a similar way, we need to understand Jesus’ sentence (see Matt 10:37). Our relationship with Christ should take “precedence over all other bonds, familial or social” (CCC, 1618).
In the second reading Paul also uses the words “child” (Philemon 1:10) and “brother” (Philemon 1:16) but he gives them a different meaning. “Child” is someone baptised in the name of Christ and “brother” refers to a person who shares our faith in Christ. Thus, a new family is being born, a family of Christ’s disciples where baptismal water is thicker than blood. God is our Father, the Church is our Mother, marriage in Christ reveals the mystery of love between God and His people, and all faithful are brothers and sisters in Christ.
(2) “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:27). A person sentenced to death by crucifixion had to carry his own cross and bear its shame (Hebrews 12:2). (3) “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:33). Our Lord is the best example. Although in the form of God, Jesus “did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped” (Phil 2:6). And when Satan offered Him the splendour of all earthly kingdoms, Jesus told him to get lost (Matt 4:8-10).
Christ is the only foundation on which we can build a tower signifying our Christian life (Luke 14:28-29; 1 Cor 3:10-11). Some build “with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw” (1 Cor 3:12) and their work shall be tested by fire (1 Cor 3:13-15). Others begin to build but do not complete their work thus making themselves an object of ridicule (Luke 14:29-30). Also through Christ alone we can ask for “peace terms” (Lk 14:32) with God. “He is our peace”, because through His death we have been reconciled to God (Eph 2:14-18; Rom 5:2).
“Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends?” (Wisdom 9:13). Today’s Gospel is not for fainthearted. Only God can demand what Jesus is demanding and only God can enable us to accomplish Jesus’ demands (Wisdom 9:17). And who can accept such demands? Only those who to whom the Father gives wisdom to realise that Jesus have the words of eternal life and believe that He is the Holy One of God (John 6:68-69).
You can also visit the author's page: Reading Bible
Wisdom 9:13-18ab; Psalm 90; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33
Every missionary knows how difficult it is to leave a family and a native country behind and go to the ends of the world to preach the Gospel. His father embraces him in his strong arms, his mother draws a cross on his forehead, brother and sister tell him to send some photos from an exotic place. But in their hearts there is the pain of separation and uncertainty about seeing each other again. The world today is such an unsafe place and the number of those persecuted for Christ is growing. When will he come back?. He does not know.
Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem, the place where the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection would take place. “Great crowds were traveling with Jesus” (Luke 14:25). But who among them knew the true identity of Christ and His mission? For them, He was a prophet from Nazareth who taught with power and performed miracles. Majority accompanied Him out of curiosity and so Jesus turned towards them and spelled out three conditions of following Him.
(1) “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). In the book of Genesis, we have a story about Jacob and his two wives – Leah and Rachel. The Bible tells us that “Leah was hated” which means that Jacob “loved Rachel more than Leah” (Gen 29:30-31). In a similar way, we need to understand Jesus’ sentence (see Matt 10:37). Our relationship with Christ should take “precedence over all other bonds, familial or social” (CCC, 1618).
In the second reading Paul also uses the words “child” (Philemon 1:10) and “brother” (Philemon 1:16) but he gives them a different meaning. “Child” is someone baptised in the name of Christ and “brother” refers to a person who shares our faith in Christ. Thus, a new family is being born, a family of Christ’s disciples where baptismal water is thicker than blood. God is our Father, the Church is our Mother, marriage in Christ reveals the mystery of love between God and His people, and all faithful are brothers and sisters in Christ.
(2) “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:27). A person sentenced to death by crucifixion had to carry his own cross and bear its shame (Hebrews 12:2). (3) “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:33). Our Lord is the best example. Although in the form of God, Jesus “did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped” (Phil 2:6). And when Satan offered Him the splendour of all earthly kingdoms, Jesus told him to get lost (Matt 4:8-10).
Christ is the only foundation on which we can build a tower signifying our Christian life (Luke 14:28-29; 1 Cor 3:10-11). Some build “with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw” (1 Cor 3:12) and their work shall be tested by fire (1 Cor 3:13-15). Others begin to build but do not complete their work thus making themselves an object of ridicule (Luke 14:29-30). Also through Christ alone we can ask for “peace terms” (Lk 14:32) with God. “He is our peace”, because through His death we have been reconciled to God (Eph 2:14-18; Rom 5:2).
“Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends?” (Wisdom 9:13). Today’s Gospel is not for fainthearted. Only God can demand what Jesus is demanding and only God can enable us to accomplish Jesus’ demands (Wisdom 9:17). And who can accept such demands? Only those who to whom the Father gives wisdom to realise that Jesus have the words of eternal life and believe that He is the Holy One of God (John 6:68-69).
You can also visit the author's page: Reading Bible