Luke 14:25-33

Philippians 2:12-28

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

Luke 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling 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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, your eternal plan of creation and salvation is truly awesome. You did not abandon us when we sinned against you but sent your Son to save us and teach us how to be reconciled with you and live with you forever.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Three Conditions for Discipleship: The Gospel passage opens with a Jewish idiomatic term. To “hate,” in this instance, means to “love less.” Jesus teaches that we should not love our parents, our spouse, our children, our siblings, or even our own life more than God the Father and his Son. The first and greatest commandment is to love God. The second commandment is to love our neighbor. To be Jesus’ disciples means first being committed to him more than our family attachments. The second condition to be Jesus’ disciple is to take up our cross and follow him. The third condition is to renounce all our possessions (Luke 14:33). This third condition requires serious deliberation and is illustrated with two parables. The first parable is about building a tower and discerning, like a builder, whether or not you have sufficient resources to bring the project to completion. The second parable is about marching into battle and discerning, like a king, whether or not you have sufficient troops to be successful in battle. If we apply this to our lives, we see that some people can give away everything and enter into religious life. The rest of us are called to discern how we are to use our wealth, to be truly detached from what we possess, and to give generously to the poor.

2. Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling: The Letter to the Philippians is a very positive and joyful letter. Many of Paul’s writings have to address crises in the early Christian communities or correct problems. Philippians, by contrast, is a letter of gratitude and encouragement sent to dear friends. Today, Paul praises them for their obedience to God and encourages them to work out their salvation with a sense of awe at serving God and a sense of dread at the prospect of sinning against him (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 359). The exhortation “to work out your salvation” means that salvation is an ongoing and life-long process and not a one-and-done event. And Paul reminds us that, as we work, we do not work alone, for God is the one who works in us. We do not initially save ourselves but do need to work with God and his grace to attain our final salvation.

3. Christian Attitudes: As we work out our salvation, there are some virtues and attitudes we should embody. First, Paul says to do everything without grumbling or questioning. We all know people who always complain and grumble. If the sun is shining, it is too warm. If it is cloudy, it is too cold. If it is Monday, they complain about the start of the work week. If it is Friday, they complain about how busy they are on the weekend, and so on. A Christian is called to rise above grumbling and see the great things God has done for them. Every new day is another day to grow in love and an opportunity to work to advance the Kingdom. Second, Paul recognizes the effort everyday life takes. He compares it to running or laboring. He alludes to suffering – being poured out as a libation – and sacrifice as we serve our brothers and sisters. Yet this suffering and sacrifice should not take away our joy. A Christian is joyful and hopeful while suffering and sacrificing.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I love you and desire to love you above all things. Support me as I bear my cross and suffering. Guide my steps as I follow you. Help me leave behind the things of this world and be more deeply attached to you and your Kingdom.

Living the Word of God: How many times have I already grumbled and complained today? How can I express my Christian joy and hope better and more frequently? Do I need to start my daily prayer with time for thanksgiving rather than petitions?