Phil 2:12-18
PS 27:1, 4, 13-14
LK 14:25-33 Full Readings
Saint Nicholas Tavelic and Companions
Counting the Cost
Brethren, Jesus does not pull his punches, and in today's Gospel delivers a series of devastating body-blows to anyone who is looking for easy discipleship. All through this journey up to Jesus’ own death at Jerusalem the cost of discipleship has been a recurrent theme: ‘Let the dead bury their dead’, the Parable of the Rich Fool, ‘From one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded’, ‘Father against son, son against father’, and today, ‘Hate father and mother’ and ‘Give up all your possessions’. When Jesus made these demands, he knew what lay ahead of him because he would undergo suffering and was only asking his disciples to follow his own course. We must count the cost before beginning to build the tower. Most of us have, of course, already started to build the tower. There is no turning back from the plough, only prayer for courage and loyalty which exceed our own powers.
The two prominent aspects which we see in the Gospel today, deserve to be taken seriously: Hating one's family and counting the cost before setting your eyes on doing something. When we don't count the cost and see if we can manage, then people will laugh at us and become embarrassed. These two aspects are very important not only for our spiritual life but also for our daily community living.
Firstly, Jesus says that unless you hate your family, you cannot be his true disciple. This can easily be misunderstood unless we understand the meaning of 'hate' in the Bible. Hate in the Bible is not a feeling of resentment, anger, malice, violence or even wishing the other bad, but it is referred to as preferring less. Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D commenting on this Gospel writes, "He says, 'He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me' (Matthew 10:37). By adding 'more than me,' it is plain that he permits us to love, but not more than we love him. He demands our highest affection for himself and that very correctly. The love of God in those who are perfect in mind has something in it superior both to the honor due to parents and to the natural affection felt for children." (excerpt fromCOMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 105). Hate, therefore, means preferring less.
Jesus therefore is saying that the first preference should be God, nothing should come in our way of serving God even our families. The first priority should be God and then then families and others can follow. This scripture is therefore not an excuse to treat those in the family, nor anyone else, with spite, harshness, malice or the like. It is not an excuse to let the passion of anger well up in us. But it is a call from God to act in justice and truth and to refuse to allow anything to separate us from the love of God.
Secondly, Jesus encourages us to count the cost. This is an ordinary common sense which Jesus used to pass his message. Nobody would go to shop without a budget, nobody would start building without enough money. Don’t start a tower you can’t finish. Don’t fight a battle you can’t win. Be strategic; make the tough choices. otherwise, you become embarrassed. This is so too when one decides to become a Christian. There is no Christianity without a cost, otherwise it is not true Christianity.
Taking the example of Jesus, Jesus knew that the cross was the Father's way for him to achieve victory over sin and death - and glory for our sake as well. He counted the cost and said 'yes' to his Father's will. If we want to share in his glory and victory, then we, too, must 'count the cost' and say 'yes" to his call to "take up our cross and follow him" as our Lord and Savior.
For those of us who think about having cheap grace, there's no cheap grace; we have to work for it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who died for his faith under the Nazi persecution of Jews and Christians, contrasted cheap grace and costly grace: "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves... the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance... grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate... Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."
The concluding line of today’s Gospel mentioned above calls us to renounce all of our possessions. Renunciation does not mean to throw away all we own, or simply do without it. Renunciation means recognizing that everything we have, including relationships with loved ones, comes from the Lord and therefore should be entrusted to him. We must renounce anything that we are attached to in a way that is contrary to the will of God.
Of course, in God’s providence most people (except those who take a vow of poverty) are invited by God to have various possessions so as to meet the material needs of life. But even in this case, we must “renounce” all that we possess, meaning, we must not allow ourselves to become attached to anything other than God. But this is freedom in the truest sense. Even if you have many things, it must be understood that those things do not make you happy. Only God and His will can fulfill you. Nothing else. Thus, we must learn to live as if God and God alone suffice. And if it is God’s will that you obtain a house, car, computer, television and other modern conveniences, then so be it. But true “renunciation” of all of these possessions simply means that if at any time you were to lose them, then this would be fine. Therein is perfect detachment. The loss of something material would not deter you in any way from loving and serving God and His holy will.
Reflect today on these two important aspects in the Gospel today, preferring God first and counting the cost. For the sake of Christ are you ready to give up everything and follow him? Pray for the enlightenment from the Spirit.
Let us Pray.
Lord, help me always to love you more than anybody else so that I may truly become your disciple and help me to embrace the cost involved in discipleship with humility and love. Amen
Be blessed
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