Gospel: Luke
14:25-33
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, everyone
of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
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Reflection:
Why do we
follow Jesus?
When
Jesus noticed that great crowds were travelling with him, he knew that they
were there because of the many miracles and healings that he does, he knew that
when push comes to shove this crowd would eventually abandon him. Jesus knew it
like seeing through crystal clear water!
So he
addressed them, "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. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26-27).”
Other Christian
denominations project Jesus as a God who can immediately lighten our burdens the
moment we accept Him as our Lord and savior, a cure all God so to speak! Many are
immediately hypnotized by this promise so they leave the church and join the Christian
denomination/sect.
However
there would be instances wherein Jesus will not help us carry our burden; will
not cure us of our sickness. It may even seem that Jesus is an absentee God, a
God who doesn’t care. Yes, it’s not all the time that we would get what we want
from Jesus. He cares nevertheless and He is with us even in the difficult
episode/s of our life.
What
Jesus is telling us in the Gospel is: if you want to really follow me be
prepared to persevere, be prepared to carry your own cross and be prepared to
sacrifice and leave your own comfort zone/s for my sake.
To follow
Jesus amidst the trials and persecution is the best decision that we can ever
do in our lives. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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