23rd Sunday C

Twenty Third Sunday of the Year (C)

8 September 2013

Luke 14, 25 – 33

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his
wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he
cannot be my disciple.  And anyone who does not carry his cross and
follow me cannot be my disciple.

 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit
down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete
it?  For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it,
everyone who sees it will ridicule him,  saying, ‘This fellow began to
build and was not able to finish.’  “Or suppose a king is about to go
to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider
whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming
against him with twenty thousand?  If he is not able, he will send a
delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for
terms of peace.  In the same way, any of you who does not give up
everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Not just any way
José Antonio Pagola
Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem. The Gospel writer tells us that
“many people accompanied him”. However, Jesus does not read too much
into their zeal. He is not deceived by the easily earned enthusiasm of
the crowds. Some are concerned today at the sharp decline in the
number of Christians. Jesus was more interested in the quality of his
followers than their number.
   Suddenly he turns around and begins to speak to the crowd of the
concrete demands  following him makes on those who wish to do so in a
responsible and decisive manner. He does not want them to follow him
in just any way. To be a follower of Jesus is a decision that will put
its stamp on the whole life of the individual.
    First of all, Jesus speaks to them of the family. Those people
have their own families: fathers and mothers, wives and children,
brothers and sisters. They are their most loved and dear human beings.
But they cannot be his disciples if they do not set aside family
interests to work with him  to promote the interests of the human
family not based on blood relationships but based on  motives of
justice and fraternal solidarity.
Jesus is not thinking of disrupting families by eliminating love and
family life. But, if someone puts above everything else the honor of
his family, his heritage or family welfare he cannot be his disciple
nor can he work with him in the project of a more humane world.
   More still. If someone thinks only of himself and his own affairs,
if he lives only to enjoy his well-being, if he cares only about his
own interests, let him not deceive himself. He cannot be he cannot be
a disciple. He lacks inner freedom, consistency and responsibility to
be taken seriously.
   Jesus continues speaking without mincing his words: “Whoever does
not carry his cross after me cannot be my disciple.” If one lives
avoiding problems and conflicts, if he does not know how to take risks
and endure punishment, if he is not ready to undergo suffering for the
kingdom of God and his justice, he cannot be a disciple of Jesus.
   We cannot be Christian any way we choose. We must not confuse the
Christian life with ways of living which distort and empty of content
the humble but responsible following of Jesus.
   It is surprising how freely Pope Francis denounces ways of being
Christian that have little to do with the disciples of Jesus:
“Christians who have good manners but bad habits, believers fit for
museums, hypocrites created by casuistry, Christians who cannot go
against the current, “corrupt” Christians” who can only think of
themselves, “educated Christians” who do not preach the Gospel…
(Pope’s words freely translated from the Spanish version.)
Promote the life of true followers of Jesus