Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Now large crowds were travelling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Luke 14:25-33

Reflection:

Our gospel for today is from Luke 14:25-33. This talks about the cost of discipleship. This reminds us about following Jesus in everything.

The only way to enter heaven is to follow Jesus. To follow Jesus means to carry his own cross and live a life like Jesus did. This is the real deal in Luke 14:25-33.

So what is the cost of being a disciple of Christ? What cross are you asked to bear as you follow Jesus? This is a metaphor of being a good Christian. The only way to follow Jesus is to live a life filled with goodness.

Luke 14:25-33 reminds us that being a disciple is not an easy thing to do. We must do all things in favor for our brothers and sisters. It means we must also learn to love others.

To be a disciple means to give up everything that we own all the riches. We must learn to be of service to the poor. We must carry our own cross and bear witness to the good things as Christians.

Luke 14:25-33 reminds us that if we follow Jesus, the life we must lead is not an easy one. There will be thorns in the way and all trials will pop up. Many will mock us and many will never believe in us. Still, we must try harder to earn the trust of others.

The cross symbolizes the trials, the humiliations, the hardships of being a disciple. The road may not lead us to glory that easy as there will be blockage. Yet, as soon as we fulfill our duties and started to witness the transformation of others, we can say we did it.

Lord, let me carry your cross and let me feel the heaviness of it. As I long to be your disciple, I am willing to carry the cross for the service of men. – Clea | Helpline PH