Bishop’s Gospel Reflection:
Jesus tells us: “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.” And later, “…anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” We can see that this language is hyperbolic, because we know that Jesus wills us to honor our fathers and mothers, to love our neighbors and families, and to appreciate our lives as a gift. Many saints—even kings and queens—lived holy lives with great wealth at their disposal. So why would Jesus speak with such intensity?
Christ uses hyperbole to call us to a state of radical detachment. He exhorts us to prioritize following Him to the extent that even our closest relationships are like nothing in comparison. He wants us to live as if we own nothing so that nothing will hold us back from picking up our crosses and following Him.
This detachment is not always metaphorical. If our possessions lead us to selfishness or discontent, we may need to take Jesus’ words literally and renounce them. We may also need to cut off relationships—even important ones—if they obscure our relationship with Christ.
Jesus gives two examples to underline His point: building a tower and preparing for battle. In both, the focus is on planning ahead and ensuring you have enough resources to complete the task. Otherwise, the effort fails. In the same way, Jesus tells us that renouncing everything—our possessions, our pride, even our very selves—is the starting point of true discipleship. Without this foundation, our attempt to follow Him will crumble like an unfinished tower or fail like a poorly planned war.
It is interesting that both prerequisites in Jesus’ examples are ensuring that one has “enough” to succeed. This message seems to contradict the requirement to renounce your possessions and relationships. But the paradox hides a powerful truth…
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Gospel Reflection: The Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - AD Today
I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment; I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to … Continue reading
