The Demands of Discipleship
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C (04/09/2022)
Wisdom 9: 13-18b; Psalm 90: 3-4.5-6.12-13,14.17 (R. 1); Philemon 9b-10.12-17; Luke 14: 25-33
By Fr. Samuel Odeh
In today's Gospel reading Jesus turns to the crowd and speaks to them about discipleship. "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." When Jesus describes "hating" one's father and mother, he is not talking about feelings. Rather he is emphasizing very strongly that choosing to be a disciple means that everything else - family, money, life - must come second. In St Matthew's version of this story (Matthew 10: 37), Jesus refers not to "hating" father or mother, but to loving them more than Jesus. A Christian is a Jesus person in all senses and in every way such that no human relationship can come before our relationship with Christ Jesus; not even the person we love most in this life can come before Christ Jesus. It does not matter whether we have formed close relationships and bonds with members of our church, our schools or local community, and it does not matter who they are. We are to prefer no human being whatsoever to Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus must be first and above all and have no equal.
Jesus makes it clear that being a disciple is not easy. "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." The cross in the life of a Christian represents suffering and persecution on account of their faith in Christ Jesus. We must be prepared to suffer on account of our faith if ever a choice has to be made between our faith and the circumstances of our lives or the values of this world. These sayings of Jesus are difficult. For example, am I willing to give up my job or a marriage partner rather than reject my Christian faith? Should I go to work on Sunday? Should I say yes or no to an abortion? We are to prefer nothing whatsoever to Christ Jesus. Success, ambition, fame, career or even marriage cannot come before Christ Jesus.
Jesus illustrates these difficult sayings with two short parables: the first is about a builder constructing a tower who must make sure they have adequate materials and resources to complete the building, and the second is about a king marching into battle who must decide whether he has enough troops to fight and win or decide on peaceful terms instead. We can add our own examples even. For instance if I am travelling from Makurdi to Sokoto, should I not make sure I have the resources to complete the journey to and fro? The call to be disciples of Christ Jesus requires decision-making similarly. Making decisions as Christians will be difficult unless we are ready to place the kingdom of God before everything else. Unless the kingdom of God is of first importance in our lives we will not be able to live as faithful Christians. Without the wisdom from on high, we cannot be the loving and forgiving persons that Christian disciples are called to be. In the reading from Saint Paul's letter to Philemon, Onesimus, the runaway slave now serving Paul in his imprisonment, is to be received back no longer as a slave but as a brother both in the flesh and in the Lord. Without the faith that places Christ as of first importance in their lives, this acceptance of Onesimus by Philemon and the Christian community would have been impossible. Let us pray to God this Sunday for the gift of loving Christ Jesus above all else. May the kingdom of God hold first place in our lives. May God grant us his wisdom from on high. Amen.
