Lk 14:25-33
25Great crowds were traveling with [Jesus], and he turned and addressed them, 26“If any one 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. 27Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28Which 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?
29Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him 30and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ 31Or 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? 32But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. 33In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
Choosing to Center on Christ: Whoops! Hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters? Carry the cross? Renounce all possessions? Was Jesus serious when he spoke those words? What did Jesus mean by all his statements about discipleship in this Gospel passage? Why was he making such harsh demands from his followers?
Requirements are something we live with. They are conditions we have to fulfill. Students need to pass their final examinations in order to be promoted to the next grade level. Graduates have to pass the board examinations in order to be licensed professionals. There are requirements for the President of the country just as there are requirements for the lowliest employee of a company.
Hate father and mother. Carry the cross. Renounce all your possessions. These are the requirements that Jesus asks of those who want to follow him. Discipleship is a serious matter. This is highlighted by the severity of the requirements that Jesus demands. Discipleship is not like a game that we play, a game that we stop when we are tired or bored of it.
When Jesus talks about hating mother and father, he means not just an emotional aversion to or a sentimental dislike of some people. One writer aptly remarks, “What Jesus is saying is that following him must have first priority over everything—including our strongest relationships. Hate is used in a relative sense rather than an absolute sense. Jesus is saying that we must never let our love for family or friend be higher than our love for God.”
Discipleship is not a teka, teka, an expression of indecision. It is rather a deliberate choice in favor of Jesus. Rightly, dedication and devotion defines discipleship. The Christian disciple is one who decides to put Jesus at the very center of one’s life.
That is, however, easier said than done. Recall the story of Peter. At the Last Supper, did he not declare that he was ready to lay down his life for Jesus? But we know what happened after that. He denied Jesus three times.
Would Christ still have my primary allegiance when cheating would result in huge profits for me? Would I still stand up for the values of Christ when that would result in extreme inconvenience on my part? What concretely does putting Christ at the center of my life mean? That, at least, deserves careful and conscientious reflection.
Discipleship requires consideration of the personal cost of putting Christ at the top of my priorities. That is what the two parables highlight. In both parables, the primary issue is not whether one builds a tower or not, or whether one goes to war or not. The main point is that one should be prepared from the very beginning with all the available resources at one’s disposal to carry through until the completion of the plan or project. There is no—whoops!—turning back in the midstream. The disciple is one who has counted the cost and still commits to Jesus all the way. There is no middle ground for the disciple of Jesus. There are no half-measures. There is no place for the fence-sitters. One is either with Jesus or against him. Discipleship is not for the fainthearted but for the brave of heart. It is not for the lethargic and indifferent but for the resolute and committed.
A bulldog is a peculiar animal. It is said that its nose is tilted upward so that it would not suffocate because it simply would not let go when its heavy jaw locks onto something. That would be a good image to apply to the Christian disciple—somebody who clings and clutches on to Jesus and simply would not let go.