REFLECTION

GOSPEL

Great crowds were travelling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “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.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?

But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, any one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14: 25-33

REFLECTION

The thought of hating one’s father and mother, spouse and children, brothers and sisters, and even one’s own life does indeed sound harsh. However, when viewed through the lens of the parallel in Matthew’s gospel, we see that the point being made is that true discipleship requires undivided loyalty to Jesus above any other loyalty, including to oneself. Such a commitment might at times pit us against our relatives or even our own desires and wishes.

As I reflected on the gospel, I was reminded of the radical and inclusive love that God has for us. In being detached from our relationships and possessions we can more fully experience this love and be channels of it to our family, friends, ourselves and even our enemies. Ironically then, today’s gospel is not calling us to hate (as we understand hate) our father and mother, spouse and children, brothers and sisters, and even our own life, but rather to love these with that radical and inclusive love that we have experienced as disciples. This is the true cost of discipleship, and it is not easy.

Julie Leonard

Religious Education Leader

Wellbeing Leader